Saturday, January 8, 2011

products i'm loving!

Something very exciting (well, for me) has happened since my last post - i (FINALLY) signed up for driver's ed and have already completed my first week of it.  I'm going to be 17 in March, so i'm way past due to drive.  Really can't wait to just get behind the wheel (am a bit nervous tbh) & be able drive myself places instead of having to rely on other people all the time for rides.  Unfortunately this means i am gone from 7:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night, so i have absolutely no proper lighting to take photos for my blog, resulting in less blog posts :/
I've also rearranged my blog a bit, i tried to go for the two-column layout since it would be a lot easier to see everything on my blog and such, but it just messed everything on my blog up & i just couldn't seem to make it look ok!  So the three-column layout might be here for a while!

I have been really loving certain products lately, so i thought i'd share them with you all.  There's a combination of some things i got for Christmas, as well as some products i've recently gotten that i've been wanting to try out for a while.
♥ Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer.  Now i've been a long time fan of the famous Urban Decay Primer Potion, but i can honestly say that i prefer this to it.  The product itself & the job it does is essentially the same as UDPP, but it's incredibly easier to use and so much easier to get the product out of the tube.  Although i love the bottle on the Urban Decay Primer Potion, it's just not ideal & a lot of product is wasted.  If you love UDPP but have the problem many people have with getting all the primer out, i recommend trying Shadow Insurance out.  You get a tad bit more product with the Two Faced Shadow Insurance & it's the same price as UDPP.  Will definitely be repurchasing this when i run out!

♥ Sigma F45 Buffer brush.  I asked for a few Sigma brushes for Christmas and this is one of them.  I don't know why i waited so long to try out their brushes, but i'm honestly so glad i did.  One of the brushes i asked for was this kabuki, the F45 (F standing for face).  It's incredibly soft and blends my blush & contour perfectly, as well as applies my setting powder (which will be discussed below!) amazingly.  I don't have a MAC kabuki brush to compare this to, but this is by far the softest & best buffer brush i have tried.  Highly recommend trying this one out!

Sorry for the dirtiness!  Need to wash my brushes :)
♥ Sigma F40 Large Angled Contour brush.  This is another Sigma brush i asked for on my Christmas list & was the one i was most excited to try out.  This brush definitely did not disappoint, and it immediately became one of my favorite makeup brushes!  I love using this brush with my Bare Minerals All-Over Color in "Warmth" (or any bronzer) to contour my face.  It's dense & super soft, and applies the product super well.  A lot of people also use this to apply blush, but i haven't tried that yet since i already use it to contour.  I'm honestly considering just getting another one of these for blusher :)  Haha.

♥ Sigma E25 Blending brush.  This brush came free with the order.  It's a travel-size (short-handle) brush, which i'm actually happy about - the less room my makeup takes up in my suitcase, the better! This is supposed to be the equivalent to the MAC 217 brush, which i do own (which i love - you really can never have too many blending brushes!).  I don't prefer one over the other really, but since the Sigma version is less expensive than the MAC one, i would recommend opting for the Sigma.  I use this to apply color in the crease & the outer corner, as well as blending my eyeshadow out - does the job nicely :)

♥ Bare Minerals Mineral Veil.  I've been using this since i first started using Bare Minerals, but i've only recently really appreciated Mineral Veil.  I apply this over my foundation, blush, and contour with my Sigma F45 (as said above :) & it's honestly just a dream to put on, as stupid as that sounds!  It leaves the most gorgeous finish to the skin - not at all oily or sparkly.  It just gives a lovely sheen to the skin, making it look younger & more fresh.  Love.

Top L-R: Shroom & All That Glitters.  Bottom L-R: Satin Taupe & Twinks.
♥ Favorite MAC eyeshadow combination of the moment.  As you may have seen in my recent MAC haul & updated palette post, i picked up a few neutral shadows - Shroom, All That Glitters, and Twinks - and i have been loving using them all together, along with Satin Taupe (which i already had in my collection).  I use Shroom as an inner corner & brow bone highlight - All That Glitters all over the lid - Satin Taupe in the crease - and Twinks on the outer corner/outer v.  I then apply black liquid liner on the upper lashline and either brown or black eyeliner to the waterline, as well as a black mascara, and it creates a gorgeous daytime/neutral look.  These four eyeshadows will probably be the four i take in a quad with me when i go traveling - unless i find a different combination i like instead of course :).  If you don't want to go buy all four but still want the same sort of look, you could probably go without Satin Taupe & just blend Twinks into the crease and then build it up in the outer v.  Will hopefully do a face of the day with this combo soon :)

18 comments:

  1. I was really really nervous to start driving too! I love these posts :) I think it's about time I got my hands on some Sigma brushes xx

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  2. the primer and bare minerals sound great and i like the shadows you chose.
    good luck with driving!

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  3. i had my eye on the Sigma brushes for a while but I'm always so reluctant to order anything online but I've heard soooo many good things about them I might just as well order one ...

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  4. Ohh these are all lovely products! I was thinking of getting some sigma brushes a few months ago, but i couldnt bare to part with the money tee hee! And ohh, the mineral veil looks larveely, i'v always wanted to try bare minerals since seeing it on QVC, haha! :) xx

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  5. You're so lucky you can drive at 16 where you live. I have to wait until I am 18 :( Good luck with it. Also, i love the three column layout!

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  6. You are going to LOVE driving! I remember when I turned 16 (in 2003), I was cruisin' the roads in my little Black Accord coupe... there is such exhileration in the milestone and the freedom!
    Have fun! And you're so precious - love this blog.. you will look so cute on the roads. BE SAFE!!!!!

    pickingwildflowersblog.blogspot.com

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  7. The 'Twinks' eye-shadow is gorgeous!

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  8. Good luck with your driving sweet! I remember being terrified to start driving, but loving it within 10 minutes of being on the road (: Not sure how the driving lessons system works where you are, being gone from 7am til 6pm is not my cup of tea! Lovely picks sweet, I'm hoping to buy either Satin Taupe or Sable to add to my MAC palette next (: xx

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  9. i love your blog, and is bare minerals any good? you use the veil so im wondering if you use any more products and do they give you all over coverage that lasts!!? :)
    x

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  10. Great post. I love all that glitters and satin taupe too, and now twinks and shroom are on my wishlist!. x

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  11. @Tara - I feel like i'm just going to be so accident-prone! Haha :/ Aw, glad you like these posts :) I do too! Definitely try them out! xo

    @Elise - Thank you! xo

    @Agata - Definitely do! The ones i have i swear by xo

    @Hannah - I think they're worth a try :) Bare Minerals is like the only foundation i can use, everything else breaks me out! xo

    @Rosay - Thank youuu :) xo

    @Baily Jones - Thanks so much! I know, i can't wait :) xo

    @Katie - It is! Love the texture as well xo

    @Michelle - Thanks! It's just because i have school at 7:15-2:18 & then i have to wait around at school until 3:30 when driver's ed starts which starts at 5:30! It's insane. I have both & i love them! Definitely go have a looksie at MAC :) xo

    @Ana Cristina - Thanks! Yes, i love BM - i use their foundation as well as it's basically the only foundation i can use that doesn't break me out. I wouldn't say it's too full coverage, but it looks lovely & lasts for a while when i use a primer! I use the Bare Minerals Prime Time primer btw :) If you have anymore questions, just email/Formspring me! xo

    @Lauren - Thanks. I absolutely love All That Glitters & Satin Taupe - definitely check out Twinks & Shroom :) xo

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  12. I really really really want to try bare minerals mineral veil - it sounds GORGEOUS! xx

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  13. What a lovely MAC quad! I gave your blog an award :) xx

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  14. those brushes look great laura. i really need to get new ones.

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  15. i'm so jealous that in america you can learn to drive when you're 15. in the uk you have to be 17 before you can even take the test.

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  16. Oooh, I really want some Sigma brushes! Good luck with the driving sweet (: Im god knows how many lessons in and I'm still nervous as hell hahaha.

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  17. Oh Laura, don't be scared to get behind the wheel! It's relaxing, and I love having that time to myself to just think about anything or turn up the radio and think about nothing! By the way, so jeally of your brushes!

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  18. these are gorgoeus products :)
    loving your blog!! x

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