Try It Out: bareMinerals bareSkin Serum Foundation

Hello everyone!

Today I want to talk about yet another amazing bareMinerals product that I've recently tried out for the first time. It is the bareMinerals bareSkin Serum Foundation! I ordered this foundation from QVC for $43.96. This price is for the combo pack of the foundation and brush.

This serum foundation has a tiny dropper bottle that only allows one drop at a time to come out. This is extremely helpful because you literally only need 2 to 4 drops to cover your entire face. Seriously. Such a tiny amount of product gives this much coverage, and it's incredible! To apply this foundation I used the Perfecting Face Brush, which is the brush that comes in the combo deal.

Currently this foundation is being sold exclusively through QVC until May 1st. The foundation, upon it's solo release, will be $29. The Perfecting Face Brush alone will be $28. So by purchasing the exclusive QVC combo deal, you'll save over $13! Pretty good deal!

As you can see, this brush is really unique because of the little circle "dip" in the center. This is where you place the drops of foundations. This brush is really soft and it's blends everything very nicely!

There are 20 different shades and this foundation features an SPF 20. I found this foundation to be very hydrating but not dewy on my skin. It blended in very easily and gave a really high amount of coverage without using a lot of product or making my skin look cakey. I lightly set the foundation with a small amount of setting powder.

On the left is my face with just the foundation applied. Pretty flawless coverage!
On the right is the finished look with blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, etc.

Overall, I would highly recommend this product! I have acne-prone, combination, fair skin and this product gives me great coverage that lasts all day without making my skin shiny. I was actually amazed at how well the makeup stayed on my face through an 8 hour day outside in the hot sun. If you're looking for a daily foundation and are interested in bareMinerals products, definitely try this one out!

xo

Gabby

All About Black Eyeliner!

Hello everyone!
Today I wanted to talk about black eyeliner. If you read my welcome post, you'll know that I have a history with an obsession with black eyeliner. 

Now, some of you may think that all eyeliner is created equal. You can go to any drugstore and buy a simple black pencil eyeliner for less than a dollar, so why do some people pay upwards of $20 for "the same thing" from a different brand? To me, 3 very important aspects separate high-end eyeliner and cheap eyeliner.

1) Consistency

2) Opaqueness

3) Lasting power

Let's take a look at a few black eyeliners from my collection!

From left to right:
1) Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil ($12)
2) M.A.C. Eye Pencil ($16)
3) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion ($20)
4) M.A.C. Fluidline ($16)
5) Lorac Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner ($23)
6) Black Shadow from Lorac Pro Palette ($42)

Let's talk about types! For eyeliner you can choose from kohl pencils, gel liners, liquid liners, and eyeshadow! All of these options have different consistencies and lasting-power. Liquid and gel liners are notorious for having difficult applications! But with the right amount of practice, they become very easy to apply. And these two methods usually allow for precise lines and have a slight sheen. Kohl pencils, versus traditional cheap eyeliner pencils, usually contain a higher level of pigments. I included the last swatch (#6) to show that you can use black eyeshadow as eyeliner too, but that it gives a smoky look and is not well defined.

Cheap eyeliner (in pencil form) is not always very pigmented. And because they are made from cheap materials, they tend to not last as long as higher-end eyeliner. You may know this if you've ever had a cheap pencil and you had to sharpen it for a very long time (which wastes a lot of product) only for the tip of the eyeliner to break as soon as you press down on your skin.

My personal favorite type of eyeliner are kohl eyeliners and gel liners. The M.A.C. Fluidline has almost a mousse consistency, which is fantastic because you only need the tiniest amount imaginable to line your eyes. And this texture prevents the product from drying up, which is generally a problem with other gel liners. The Urban Decay eyeliner is SO intense and opaque. I have this eyeliner in practically every color imaginable because they are just that good!

I hope that you learned something new about eyeliner! Let me know in the comments what kind of eyeliner you use!

xo
Gabby