Revlon Colorstay Foundation vs Colorstay Whipped

I have used a ton of different foundations over the years (you know, when I actually bother to wear it). I have used Mirabella, MAC, various drugstore brands, bareMinerals, etc... but by far my go-to product has got to be Revlon ColorStay Foundation. Now, before I start this post let me just clarify that the liquid foundation in the picture is actually my mom's. I actually use foundation for dry/normal skin and my color is "Buff". I didn't realize it until I decided to write this review, but I do believe my foundation is sitting on Zach's bathroom counter... Oops!

Earlier this year, sites like makeupalley exploded singing the praises of the ColorStay Whipped foundation. I picked up some and ever since I have been using both off and on, so I think I am a fair judge of which product is better.

To me Revlon ColorStay liquid is the better choice.

I have dry skin, leaning more towards combination in the summer. The ColorStay Whipped work great when applied with a flat-top brush during the summer months, especially when I set it with a translucent powder. My skin looked almost airbrushed even. However, as fall and cold weather rolled around my skin has gotten a lot drier. It emphasizes my dry patches and now it feels like it just sits on top of my skin rather than blending in. It looks cakey even with a primer.
I have never had this issue with the ColorStay liquid formula. I can blend it into my skin with both my fingers and a brush and it always looks good. I feel like it is definitely more natural looking than the whipped foundation. Also, a month or so ago my dermatologist put me on some medications for acne that broke me out in a horrible allergic reaction. My skin was peeling like crazy. I had run out of the liquid foundation and I decided to try to cover up some of the redness with the whipped foundation... it set my skin on fire. I was crying trying to wipe it off and I am usually not one to cry from stuff like that. It felt like acid. My skin was bright red afterwards, too. I ended up buying the liquid foundation that afternoon and it did not sting at all.

Different foundations work for different people... there are tons of people who think the whipped version is a God-send and would never use anything else. However, with my skin type (dry/combination/dry/dry) I think the liquid is a better choice.

What do you think? Has anyone else used either foundation?

This week on Instagram.

1. Look I did with my shimmer palette. Channeling my inner unicorn.
2. Why dads should not have phones. 
3. Harry Potter/Dr. Who love. 
4. Mom left her Pinterest logged in. When I went to sign off she had this pulled up... I don't know what to make of it. 
5. Red velvet ice cream with sprinkles.
6. Found in my email :) 
7. My handsome mister and I on Thanksgiving. I am super awkward. 
8. Hanging out with sis-in-law Kayla and Cora Rose. Can't wait to meet her!  
9. Sad and sleepy working Black Friday. Eating crappy Chinese food after having an argument with a customer over a PS3 bundle that was "in the sales paper"... he later admitted to me that it was a Target sales paper. My rage was that of a thousand suns. 
10. Myself sans makeup and making a weird face.... Murnau making the most hilarious face ever. I laughed and laughed. 

Thanksgiving.

Me, Zach, and a dirty antique mirror.

My mom is so pretty!

This is my "I AM ABOUT TO GET COUNTRY HAM WASTED" face.

Aubrey Ann. The newest addition to our family!

Everyone wanted to cuddle her.

Me, my cousin Anna, and my cousin Molly... who is very tan, apparently.

My sweet Mammie and Aubrey.

Pappy and Aubrey.

Leiland refusing to share his cup of cheerios.

Zach talking to my preggo sister-in-law, who didn't make it into the picture.

My great-Aunt Louis and Landyn.

I LOVE BANANA PUDDING. And sitting incorrectly on couches. I am punk rock like that.

My brother and sis-in-law and my niece Cora Rose (she is not quite out of the oven yet.)

My mom always gets the most awkward pictures of us ever. Oh well.

How can I resist those chubby cheeks? I can't!

My uncle Mike and I... who is in fact my cousin, but I still call him Uncle Mike.

Mom couldn't resist those cheeks either!

You know what makes me happy? Holidays! I particularly love Thanksgiving. Then again, most of the things I get excited about normally involve food anyways. I also adore my family and I can't think of anything I would rather do than spend time with them.

I apologize for the quality of some of these. I passed my camera on to other family members this year! I was tired of being behind the lens. I think this is the first time in a year or so that I have actually made it in some pictures. So, you will have to excuse the blurriness, the awkwardness, the absence of fancy filters... just appreciate my awesome family.

Oh and can you tell we love babies? We really love babies around here.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Beauty for a Bargain: Ebay 88 Shimmer Palette

A few months ago I reviewed my Metal Mania palette, which I absolutely love. While browsing online a few weeks ago I decided to look at some other palettes to add to my collection.

Which leads me to this week's Beauty for a Bargain post!

In the past I had bought palettes from both Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics. While I was happy with the products I received from both sites, I had heard whispers across the net that they were selling wholesale palettes from China with their names stamped on the case for a jacked up price. I decided to test this theory for myself and headed on over to eBay to look for a palette that I had been lusting after for a while, which was the 88 Shimmer Palette.

Now, I fully plan to do a post comparing all my palettes in a later post, but I do really believe they are all the same. Ebay is just way cheaper. Anyways...

I quickly found multiple sellers offering the palette I wanted. I ended up settling on this one and wound up paying around $10! Considering the same palette runs for $19.95 plus shipping (unless there is a sale), ten bucks is kind of a steal. I expected shipping to be insanely slow, but I ended up getting my package about ten days later.

I was really excited opening my package. It came in your standard brown paper package. When I opened it, my palette was taped between two thick squares of styrofoam. The palette itself was packed snugly in a ton of bubble wrap inside a black box which listed the ingredients in the eyeshadow. Not a single eyeshadow was broken, except for a tiny dent in one of the greens (which you can see in the above picture). It didn't bother me, though. The shadows were gorgeous!

The shadows come in a plastic black case. The case is not the sturdiest in the world, but considering how cheap the product is and how lovely the eyeshadows are it isn't much of a concern. There is a mirror on the inside and two disposable applicators (much like my Metal Mania Palette... hmmm... just saying.) The shadows themselves are super pigmented and go beautiful. There is a bit of powdery-ness to some of them, but I think this could be due to the fact that they were in my mailbox for days before anyone bothered to check it... gotta love the crazy holidays. I tried them out today and, with a primer, I think they are comparable in quality to some of the more expensive shadows I have tried. If you pat them on rather than swipe they powdery-ness doesn't matter at all. They blend like a dream, too! However, there were a few duds in the palette... all were still totally wearable, though. They just didn't have the same color payoff as the rest. I am sure with a good primer and a bit of patience the color can be built up! Also, there is a bit of glitter in these..., but they are a "shimmer" palette, after all.

Overall, I think these shadows are fantastic and I plan to purchase more of these to use on clients in the future. They last all day, too! For the price these absolutely can't be beat. I can't sing their praises enough. If you are a makeup collector like myself, or if you are just getting in to makeup, these are perfect!

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Thanksgiving hiatus.

Hi all! I am just dropping in to tell everyone that I will not be posting for the next few days. I will be eating wonderful food, visiting with family, and spending time with the handsome devil in the picture above. My family time is super valuable to me and considering Zach doesn't get much Christmas time off at all (State Farm is a dream crusher.) I am going to cherish our time together and spend as little as possible behind a computer screen.

Get excited for next week, though! I have ordered a ton of stuff to include in my new weekly "beauty for a bargain" posts. If the online reviews are correct they should be aaaaaaahmazing. Hopefully they come in next week because I am impatient!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What I Wore: Thankful.

Cardigan: Thrifted.
Top: TJ Maxx
Skirt: Modcloth
Boots: Modcloth

I am still no expert in outfit photos. I get really paranoid of people seeing me. I know I shouldn't care, but it is a bit awkward. Not only that, but my tripod is super short and does not make getting photos easy. One day I will get the hang of it though! I do really like this outfit, though. I got the skirt and the boots from Modcloth last year for Christmas and I have maybe worn the skirt twice since then. I have been a very t-shirts and jeans kind of girl my whole life (minus a few phases in high school..). I have just in the last few years started to branch out and actually be myself, so up until today I could not figure out how to style that skirt. I think I found a good combination!

Also, Goodwill is a kingdom of cardigans. Never paying full price for one again when there are so many for less that 10 bucks!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving! Thursday night will be the huge dinner on my mom's side of the family. There are so many of us it's a treat to get us all in one place. Saturday we will do a dinner at our place for my dad's much smaller side of the family. I can't wait. I am feeling very blessed lately, so I thought I would share a few things I am thankful for.

• My parents, who love me unconditionally no matter how much of a handful I can be. My mom is my rock and my dad is my constant source of entertainment.
• Zachary Hugh. He is my best friend and my soul mate. He makes me laugh and treats me way better than I deserve sometimes. He is incredible thoughtful and just an all around amazing man. (Not to mention the fact that I opened my email to find an amazon gift card from him just because that simply stated that he loved me and to buy makeup. He knows me too well.)
• My brothers. My oldest brother Derrick for being a constant inspiration for me both artistically and emotionally. My other older brother, Stefin, for fighting for our country and always being there to defend me even when it includes knocking creepy guys into lockers. My little brother for being the coolest 14-year-old I have ever met and not complaining when I watch a scary movie and have to sleep on his floor even though I am 20.
• A roof over my head and food in my tummy... even though my tummy hates food. 
• Coffee.
• My kitties for being the best snuggle bugs ever.
• The fact that I am getting to do what I enjoy most with my life.
• And I am thankful for those who read this blog. It is so great to get to talk to people who are into the same things I am. You guys give me the drive to chase the dream I have for this little blog. It has come a long way in the few months it has been up. You guys rule! 

 What are you thankful for?

Thrifting.

I was looking around on my computer and found these thrifting photos from nearly a year ago. I must say, I have the itch to go hit up some antique stores and goodwills! It has been way too long since I have really gone thrifting. I posted about the craft fair, but it was so crowded and my little brother was bored and hungry and I didn't really look. I want to get my hands dirty and dig through some dust and cobwebs!


When I go thrifting I generally look for...
- quilts
- any kind of woodland creature figurines
- dresses
- decently priced furniture
- vintage cookware
- men's vintage blazers (for Zach)
- teacups
- cardigans (one of the most over-priced clothing items when buying from a normal store, in my opinion!)
- books



What do you look for when you go thrifting or antiquing?