Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme

Milani has joined the liquid lipstick craze and I have fallen in love. They currently have eight shades which include:

01-Crush
02-Adore
03-Beloved
04-Lust
05-Embrace
06-Desire
07-Romance
08-Flirt

These lipsticks can be found at your local Walgreens only for $6.99. They have only been distributed to Walgreens at this time and are currently not on their website or any other stores. I went to two Walgreens to assure I would get all eight shades. They are a limited edition and are only putting out two shades per store.

The formula for the product is a creamy, lightweight texture. One full swipe will cover both lips if you fold them. I typically apply one full swipe to my bottom lip and fold. I then distribute the remaining product with a lip brush while blending in my lip liner. It dries matte, but it is a bit sticky for the first minute or so. If you are going to apply gloss, I would wait at least three minutes for it to dry completely. On a good day, it lasted for an entire eight hour work day with slight transfer. At the moment, my current favorite is Beloved pair with Mac Chestnut Lipliner.

Swatches of all eight shades below

Flirt, Romance, Desire, Embrace, Lust, Beloved, Adore, Crush

Beauty on a Budget

When I began to look into makeup beyond eye shadow and lip gloss, I did not want to spend a ton of money on things I did not know how to use. I began with the lower end and drugstore products I still use to this day. As the years went on and I perfected my craft, I moved on to high-end popular brands such as MAC, Lancome, Bobbi Brown, Urban Decay, Becca, and so on. This blog will showcase a few brands to help get started with a daily or nightly makeup routine and not break the bank.

My makeup journey began with ELF(Eyes, Lips, and Face) their prices start at $1 and go up

Coastal Scents has $1.95 hotpots or pan eye shadows and good quality brushes starting at $2.49

Click Coastal Scents Photo to view the website

BH Cosmetics is known for their brushes and pigmented eye shadow palettes for less

Shany Cosmetics-I have both of the products below. The eye shadow palette was only $17.99 and the brushes were purchased while on sale. You receive free shipping for orders over $50.

NYX-one of my favorites. They have good quality products at a great price. I own all the items pictured below and I love them all, especially the butter lip gloss. My favorite lip gloss thus far. I purchase my NYX products from Ulta because they are usually buy one get one 50% off and I always have a coupon. They can also be purchased online, Target, and I have seen them in beauty supply stores as well.

Some of the drugstore brands I wear include Maybelline, Covergirl Queen, Black Opal, Black Radiance, Milani, Jordana, and L.A. Girl. These products can be found in your local drugstores such as Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid. These items can also be found in local retailers such as Wal Mart and Target.

My Skincare Routine

Michael Todd Combination Skin Regimen

Skincare is the first step to a good makeup application, or in other terms, "a beat face". Makeup is a form of art. Therefore, you always want a clean canvas for fresh new painting. Not taking care of your skin and not keeping it hydrated and clean may lead to a cakey, patchy, dry finished look. 

 

Michael Todd is 100% Organic skincare line that caters to the skin by categories, concerns, and regimen. The photo above is the normal to oily combination skin regimen I use to keep my skin looking fresh and radiant. The Pumpkin Scrub is used once every two weeks, tropical fruit scrub twice a week, and the other products are used every other day.

The Combination Skin Regimen keeps combination skin balanced with gentle cleansing to remove excess oil and a serum and moisturizer duo to repair, protect and moisturize your skin. Nutrient-rich facial mask exfoliates and improves skin cell turnover.

• CLEANSE AND TONE one step cleanser/toner
• 
  
• TROPICAL FRUIT SCRUB combination hydrating exfoliant scrub
• 
  
• CITRUS CREAM MOISTURIZER with dmae and hyaluronic acid 
• 
  
• PUMPKIN nutrient-rich facial mask |  Exfoliates and improves skin cell turnover
• 
  
• INTENSIVE organic cream eye treatment | Combats signs of aging, puffiness and dark circles around the eyes
• ANTIOX SERUM with DMAE and alpha lipoic acid | Contains potent antioxidant Vitamins A, B3, B5, C, E and Coenzyme Q in a base of Aloe Vera and Rose plus essential oils

For everyday use to remove excess dirt, oil, and makeup I use Philosophy's Purity Cleanser. I use Neutrogena's Pore Refining Toner to minimize my huge pores on my nose and cheeks. To keep my face hydrated and moisturized, I use Cetaphil's Daily Face Moisturizer. A Mary Kay Deep Cleansing Brush is used when exfoliating and apply cleanser to get deep down into my skin and help remove the dirt.

Philosophy Purity Cleanser

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner

Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer 

Mary Kay Cleaning Brush

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte: Pink N Chic

Fall 2014, Maybelline introduced their Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick Collection. Fall and Matte lipsticks are like milk and cookies for me, the perfect match. With that being said, I purchased all 10 shades that were introduced. They have added new permanent colors to the collection and the first one I grabbed was Pink N Chic. It is a mild pink, good wear for the summer. 

Maybelline Pink N Chic

 The creamy matte formula gives you the matte finish while going on smooth as a creamy lipstick making it easy to apply. These lipsticks are only $7.99 and can be found at Wal Mart or your local drugstores. I purchased my collection from Ulta. Maybelline products currently buy one get one 50% off and they have a coupon for $3.50 of any $10 purchase. 

Here is a list of all Creamy Matte Shades and a Photo Below with the color of each lipstick

650 Nude Embrace
655 Daringly Nude
656 Clay Crush
657 Nude Nuance
660 Touch of Spice
665 Lust for Blush
670 Ravishing Rose 
675 Faint for Fuchsia 
680 Mesmerizing Magenta
681 Vibrant Violet
682 Blushing Pout
683 Pink n Chic
684 Electric Pink
685 Craving Coral
686 Pink Sugar
687 All Fired Up
690 Siren in Scarlet

691 Rich Ruby

695 Divine Wine(Favorite)

696 Burgundy Blush

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Mattes

Pink N Chic, Ulta Butter Balm in Poppsy, and NYX lip liner in Fuchsia

Here is a photo of me wearing Pink N Chic paired Ulta Butter Balm in Poppsy, and NYX lip liner in Fuchsia.

Product Review: Missy Lynne Palette and Maybelline Matte+Poreless Foundation

Missy Lynn is one of the first YouTube Channels I subscribed to when I became interested in makeup. She won the NYX Face Awards a couple years ago and now she has her very own eye shadow palette with BH Cosmetics. When I purchased the palette it was on sale for $11.95 the original price is $18.95. 

Missy Lynn Palette

The palette includes six matte eye shadows and two baked highlighters. I used an eye shadow base with the shadows because they were not as pigmented as I like. They blend well and can make a variety of looks including day and night. Those highlighters are gorgeous, makes your cheekbones pop. I used them in my inner tear duct, on my cheekbone, and as a brow bone highlight. All in all the palette was a good purchase, glad it is part of my collection. 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

I have been hearing about the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation all over YouTube and Instagram so I finally decided to give it a try. I have combination skin which means I am oily in my T-Zone, have large pores on my nose and cheeks, and dry on the other areas. With my combination skin and large pores, I thought why not give this foundation a try due to its name Matte and Poreless. 

Foundation Review:

• Medium coverage, but buildable to receive full coverage
• Matte finish and minimizes pores
• Lasted six or seven hours before I began to see the oil come through

I am satisfied with the foundation due to the price and coverage. I would recommend it to others for their everyday makeup routine or even a night on the town. 

Eye look with Missy Lynn Palette

Full face with Maybelline Matte + Poreless Foundation

Everyday Makeup

I do not wear makeup every day, but when I do I typically go for something light and natural. I save the glam for special occasions or times when I am feeling "Divalicious." A few items that I go for to create my "Everyday Makeup Look" include: Tinted moisturizer or BB Cream, concealer, powder, blush, neutral or gold eye shadows, and a soft color lippie or gloss. I also apply mascara and fill in my brows as well. Those products were not listed in this blog.

Everyday Makeup Essentials

The Look

My go-to tinted moisturizer is from MAC and my go to BB Creams are Maybelline (not pictured), and AJ Crimson. These products act as a moisturizer, primer, and gives a hint of coverage all in one. They are lightweight and feels as if you have no makeup on. It is best to grab one with SPF to protect your skin from the sun, if not add a bit of moisturizer with SPF before to protect your skin. After applying tinted moisturizer or bb cream, I set my face with powder and sometimes setting spray to seal everything in.

Mac Tinted Moisturizer, Urban Decay Setting Spray, AJ Crimson BB Cream, and  Ben Nye Powder

I use concealers under my eyes and to conceal any blemishes and also clean up my brows. Covergirl Queen is used under the eye to brighten, Maybelline is used to conceal blemishes, and  MAC is used to clean up my brows.

Covergirl Queen Concealer, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Neutral or gold eye shadows work best for me in my everyday look because they are soft and gold gives me a little shine. I sometimes use an eye shadow pencil and blend it out with a blending brush. Light and medium brown eye shadows are good for an everyday look as well.

 Milani Bella Gold, Lancome (forgot name), Milani Bella Taupe, and Milani Shadow Eyez in Espresso

End the look with a pinch of blush and the lippie of your choice. Orange, nude, and light pink blushes are a go-to for everyday makeup unless I want a pop of color then I will go for a darker pink or purple and pair it with my lips.

Wet and Wild, Milani and NYX Blushes

Lips are my favorite part of my makeup look so I tend to add color in that department. Some days I will wear a nice bright or bold lip color with no makeup. These are a few of my faves for a hint of fun. Bold, light, and bright.

Milani gloss, NYX Intense Butter Gloss, Ulta Lip Crayon, and Sephora Lip Stain

Everyday Makeup Look

Beauty Buys

       

During the winter months, our skin may sometimes suffer from the harsh winds and cold weather. I picked up Purity all in one face cleaner by Philosophy. It was reviewed by a fellow blogger and I decided to add it to my skincare routine. This facial cleaner makes my skin feel so soft after one wash and makes me feel better about not having any makeup left on my face. After you rinse your face with cleanser be sure to tone and moisturize. Add a drop of olive or coconut oil to your moisturizer and you will see a huge difference in the softness of your skin along with the smoothness of your makeup application.  

Purity Facial Cleaner by Philosophy

I have been hearing raves about Too Faced's Better Than Sex mascara and it was always sold out in the mini size at my local Ulta. I use several brands and styles of mascara so if they come in a mini I pick those up to be sure I will not waste any product by tossing half the tube away. Everyone has their own preference on the length of keeping mascara. Some replace every 30, 60, or 90 days to avoid bacteria infections. Me personally, I use between 60 and 90 days. Mascara and lipsticks, stains, or gloss are everyday essentials for me if I put on nothing else.Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara was a give away for Ulta Platinum Members so I picked that up as well.

                                           

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

NYX Butter and Intense Butter Gloss are my new favorite lippies at the moment. They have the correct name because they feel like butter on your lips and are not sticky opposed to other glosses, and they smell yummy. I also picked up a High Voltage lipstick, but the glosses are receiving all of my attention at the moment. I actually purchased more online today, I am just that in love.

                                   

NYX Intense Butter Gloss in Berry Strudel & Banana Split,  Butter Gloss in Praline and High Voltage Lipstick in  No. 10

I am wearing Berry Strudel Butter Gloss

                                                     

                                         

Beauty Buys

Disclaimer-This post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I'll earn a small commission from the sale.

It has been a long while since I have posted. I will try my best to do better. Here are the latest beauty buys I have purchased in the last week.

  Face

Shown above are two of Milan's new Rose Powder blushes in Coral Cove (try here) and Romantic Rose (try here) along with their bronzer in Golden (try here).

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes (try here)These are great for removing makeup, even stubborn waterproof mascara, and eyeliners.

 Eyes

NYX Eyebrow Gel in Espresso (try here), Ardell "Natural" Lashes (try here), Wet N Wild "Nude" Kohl Pencil (try here), and Jordana " Black" Cat Eye Liner (try here)

Lips

Jordana Modern Matte "Bare" (try here), Jordana Matte "Dare" (try here)  Jordana Modern Matte "Classy" (try here), Milani Matte "Orchid" (try here), NYX Wicked Lippie "Immortal", Milani Matte Medium Nude (try here) Jumbo Cocoa Butter Stick (try here) and Vaseline Lip Therapy (try here) to help keep lips hydrated and moisturized during these winter months.