Review: Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme foundation

I picked up this foundation the other day at Walmart. It is part of a bunch of Covergirl new products, but I only picked this up since it was under $6. 

First of all, this is a whipped foundation, similar to the Revlon color stay whipped. It is .6 oz, which makes it smaller than the Revlon. My first impression of it, was AWESOME! It has a bit of a scent to it, which I'm not a fan of. I applied it with my elf stippling brush. The coverage was very good, medium to full coverage. My only issue at first, was that it felt very heavy on my face. I wasn't sure how it would last throughout the day. 

It lasted all day. I applied it at 9am, and it is now 7pm, and there's only a few spots that, if I was going back out, would need to be touched up. I did not get oily through the day, but it was also pretty cool (60s) and not humid today. 

The only real con I have about this foundation, is it feels heavy on my face. It feels like I'm wearing a mask. Which I do not like at all. 

Overall, I would give this foundation a 7 out of 10. Not my favorite, and I still like the Revlon whipped better, but this packaging is SO much smaller so it would be easier for travel. I don't hate it, but, it's also not goi to be something I reach for very often. 

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts on it?

Also, here's a picture of me, in daylight, at about 2 hours after application so you can see how it looks on. 

What's in my makeup/travel bag!

So, for the past few days I have had the wonderful experience of having plumping problems in my house, which resulted in having my water turned off. If you've never had to have your water turned off, or had lost power and running water, then you have NO clue what this entails. I can't shower in my house, flush the toilet(have to use gallon jugs of water...), do the dishes, do laundry, brush my teeth. I have been traveling to my parents' house more than often the past few days to use their water. And with that, I've had to pack up my favorite items to bring with me. This sephora and makeup bag, holds everything that I bring. 

In the sephora bag, I carry my shower items, since I don't care if it gets wet. For my shampoo and conditioner, I bring my Clear Scalp Volumizing Root Boost. These are my favorites and don't make my hair greasy or anything. I have a small bottle of Bath and Body Work Secret Wonderland body wash. Not my super favorite, but it smells good and is small. I also have my small travel sized bottle of Philosophy Purity Cleanser.  I carry my loofah as well, and my razor is just a disposable one from Walmart. 

I cannot live without my Tangle Teezer Brush. I use my Mastercuts Moisture Leave-In Conditioner, Matrix Biolage Color Care Shine Shake, and Pantene Ultimate 10 BB creme before I brush out my hair. My body spray that I've been LOVING lately is the Victoria Secret PINK Fresh & Clean. 

Now, for the makeup bag. Some may say this is a large amount, but for me, it's just enough. Super quick and easy to do. I carry my Colgate toothbrush and Crest 3D white toothpaste in my bag. I've been breaking out quite a bit lately (yuck!), so I've been carrying my Up&Up Max Strength Benzoyl Peroxide(10%) gel. Now, the actual makeup items. I carry the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation in 810, Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Corrector, and, depending on the coverage I need, and sometimes I need to only one one, or all 3, of the following concealers: Benefit Boing color 01, MAC Studio Finish NC 15, or Urban Decay 24/7 concealer in DEA. my finishing powder is the Sephora Microsmooth powder in Light 15, I use my ELF kabuki brush to apply it. The blush I've packed up is my Benefit Coralista blush and I use my Sonia Kashuk brush to apply. 

I have a few eye "primers" in my bag. I have the Lorac Pro Behind the Scenes primer, Benefit cream shadow in RSVP, and Milani Shadow Eyez in Champagne Toast. The two shadow palettes I've taken are the Covergirl Trio in Shimmering Sands and Hard Candy baked duo in High Maintenance. Both of these are good neutral, small palettes. I can get a complete look with using one or both. I use either my ELF Contour Brush or Sonia Kashuk brush. The only liner I have( and have used for the past month) is the Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Hustle. Two of the mascaras I have, only because they each provide different looks, are Covergirl Clump Crusher and Maybelline The Falsies. I finish off with some lip balm, and I use the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Nut. 

Wel, that's it. If you've made it this far, thank you! I am very likely going to do a video this week on WHY I chose these items. Keep on the lookout for it! Thanks for reading!!

Top 6 high end items!

These are my personal top items from Sephora or Ulta. All of these items can be found at Sephora. There is a ton of options when it comes to makeup, these are just my favorites. All the names of the items are linked, so feel free to click them and browse the reviews and purchase the items if you wish!

Lorac Pro Palette 

This palette has a combination of 8 matte shade and 8 shimmer shades. This palette retails for $42. All the shades are BEAUTIFUL and blend very well with not much effort. I prefer this palette over my naked palettes because of the color selection available all in one palette.

Too Faced Eye palettes

The one I link is the Natural eye palette, but there is plenty of other options available as well. There is 7 different options available as of right now. These retail for $36. They all come with 9 shadows in each palette. The shadows are so smooth and feel so soft. The best part, in my opinion about the Too Faced palettes? They each come with 3 idea cards on where to place the shadows and such. GREAT for a beginner. This was actually my first high end purchase.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hr blush

These blushes come in 15 different shades. They are a bit on the expensive side, at $26 each. But, they really do last ALL day long. I've had a few of these, and used them for weeks on end, and I have yet to hit pan on them. They last forever on the cheeks and also in the container.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye pencil

These are, by far, my favorite eye pencil ever. At $19 and about 40 shades to choose from, there is literally a color for every single person. From blacks, browns and greys..to pinks, purples and blues. They are super long wearing and do not smudge on me at all. They are nice and smooth to go on, and when they set, they aren't going anywhere until you take them off.

Benefit They're Real mascara

This mascara is amazing. It is a bit much for a mascara, at $23 for the full size, but I had bought about 3 travel sized ones, and I loved them. I just HAD to get the full sized one, even if it was on the high price range. It gives amazing volume and really makes you look like you have false lashes on. 

And now for my favorite "tool" for makeup application!

Beauty Blender

This sponge is NOT just a sponge. It gives my foundation a flawless application and give the best coverage when I use it. It is also very refreshing in the morning. You wet the sponge, squeeze out the water, and apply your foundation. I was very hesitant about buying this..but since I got it, I've used it every day and I really love using it. It retails for $19 for one sponge or $28.95 for a package of 2.

Well, that's all for my favorite items from Sephora. I've tried many different items from both the drugstore and Sephora/Ulta, and these are just my tried and true favorites!

xoxo Emily

Face of the day [simple natural weekend look]!

Hey ladies! I figured I would *try* and post a face of the day every week or so that way you can see what I've been wearing. Today's look is a very simple, natural look and pretty low key. It's mainly "high end" products.

Here's what I used; 

So, first off I used my Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation. Concealed with my NYX HD concealer. I just bought this on Thursday, so I'm still testing it out, but a first impression is a good one, so we will see! I also just purchased the Sephora Microsmooth face powder. I use the color 15/light. So far, I like it. I used Benefit's Coralista on my cheeks.

For the eyes I used Benefit's cream shadow in RSVP as a base. This is a nice light pink/champagne color and super smooth. I used the Too faced Boudior Eyes for my shadows. Here is what I did.

Lap dance all over lids

Sugar Walls on the inner half of my lid for some brightness

Fuzzy Handcuffs into the crease.

In The Buff for a brow highlight.

I ten lined my top lash line with my Urban Decay 24/7 pencil in Hustle. I love this color. I then used Loreal Shocking Extentions and the Covergirl Clump Crusher mascaras. I'm still testing out the Loreal mascara, so I'll keep you updated.

This is the finished eye look

Very natural and pretty for the daytime.

I used my PINK Spring Break Passion fruit and Hibiscus body spray to finish off this spring day!

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you want to see more face of the days in the future!

xoxo Emily

Makeup starter kit with drugstore products!

So, today I am going to talk to you about a makeup starter kit. These items are, in my opinion, tried and true. They are great if you are just starting out wearing makeup, or if you already have started but want to add more "staples" into your collection. All of these products can be found at any drugstore(unless otherwise noted) but are ALL under $10 each.

First of, moisturizer. There are many different types and brands to chose from. I enjoy the Neutrogena Oil Free moisture. I have the one for combination skin, but they also have different varieties for different skin types. You can choose any moisturizer that you like, this is just my drugstore preference.

A foundation is a completely personal choice. There is TONS (literally) to choose from at the drugstore, or all different price points. I enjoy the Revlon Colorstay(both original and whipped formulas), Loreal True Match Lumi, Revlon Nearly Naked and the Covergirl Outlast 3-in-1. All can be found at Walmart or Target for under $10 usually and all have a decent amount of shades to choose from.

There are a few decent concealers that I've found at the drugstore. One is the Loreal True Match super blendable concealer. They have quite a few shades to choose from and it covers very well. Another option is the Hard Candy Glamoflauge heavy duty concealer. This thing is NO joke. It covers everything. Both are great options, just depends on the coverage you want.

colors shown are Hard Candy in ultra light and True Match in C1-2-3

There are a few decent setting powders on the market at the drugstore. My favorite for just a no frills, everyday powder is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. This is a very lightweight, easy to use powder. It keeps me matte all day. It is under $5, making this product not only affordable but great as well. I use the cover transparent so it blends whenever I have a slight tan or I'm pale as a ghost, but they also have a few other actual shades to choose from.

Color in Stay Matte in Transparent

Blush. I have 2 blushes that I recommend. Both have amazing color pay off. First of all, the NYX blushes. These are possibly the best blushes out there. They have a TON of colors.We're talking over 20 shades. NYX products are available at Ulta stores and on their website. Also a great pick for blush is the Wet N Wild blushes. While they only have about 4 colors, they are definitely a great option to check out. They are very smooth and pigmented.

colors shown are NYX peach and Wet n Wild Pearlescent pink

The only bronzer I have tried from the drugstore is the NYC smooth skin bronzing face powder in Sunny(the only color they have). They price is amazing (~$3) and the color is perfect for light/medium skin tones. It is NOT orange at all and blends very well. I don't even need to buy higher end bronzers, because this does it for me and I can't beat the price.

NYC bronzer in Sunny

Eye shadows! These are my favorite. The drugstore has SO many options to choose from. First of all, Wet N Wild 8 pan palettes. They also has 3 pan palettes. Wet n Wild eye shadows are so pigmented and buttery, they feel like a high end brand. They have a good selection of color choices, you'll be sure to find one you like.

Wet N Wild 8 pan palette in Comfort Zone

Another eye shadow option is Hard Candy's Kal-eye-descope baked eyeshadow duo. These are $6 and found only at Walmart. There are a few color chioces to chose from and they are all very shimmery. I love them for a simple easy look.

Hard Candy Baked Eye Shadow duo in High Maintence

One of the most sought after eyeshadow palettes is the Covergirl trio in Shimmering Sands. This palette is a very compact, everyday eye look in one spot. It has all the colors you need to make a complete eye look. And for under $4, it's well worth it.

Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Shimmering Sands

Eyeliners are very tricky in my opinon. My favorite liquid eyeliners are the Jordana Fabuliner. These can be found at Walgreens. There is both brown and black in color and they are very easy to use. If you don't like liquid liner, then I suggest the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eyeliner pencils. These are super creamy and stay put until you take them off.

Fabuliner in black and Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eyeliner in Nude

Last but not least, lip color. I don't wear lipstick too much so I stick to chapsticks and things like that. First off, I LOVE the Maybelline babylips. They are very moisturizing and most of them have some sort of color. They are very sheer but this are nice and light and glossy. 

Maybelline Babylips in peppermint.

Another option if you want more color payoff and variety is the Revlon Lip Butters. I have quite a few of these, and I keep them everywhere (car, purse, makeup bag, etc). They are very moisturizing and have a variety of colors available. There's something for everyone!

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade

So there you have it! My ideas of a makeup starter kit or just staples you should have in your collection. All these items I have had for a while, and I still reach for them.

What are some items you think would be a good starter kit or are essentials?

xoxo Emily

Current {May 2013} Favorites!

So this is my first post (and really shot) at making anything I do with beauty, public. I am obsessed (okay, more than obsessed) with anything makeup and beauty related. If you know me, you know that I am constantly playing with makeup, picking up new items, and just always talking about makeup.

Anyways, here's all of my current everyday, go to favorites. There's a bit, since this is my first post and no one really knows what I use everyday and what has become my favorites. The upcoming favorites posts will most like contain less products, as I'm sure some things will be a holy grail within the next few weeks. I love all these products, and recommend them to all my friends if they ask.

• Tarte BB 12hr primer in the color fair. I will wear this on its own or under foundation. It provides great coverage for a BB cream and it makes your skin feel super soft to the touch. It's very lightweight (as most BB creams are) which makes it a great pick for the upcoming spring/summer months.
• Covergirl Outlast 3 in 1 foundation in the color 820. This foundation...wow. It has a very nice coverage, I'd say medium to full coverage. It provides a great finish, in my opinion. Very natural looking, not too dewy and not too matte. It lasts all day, for me.
• Revlon Nearly Naked Powder in fair. For a drugstore powder, this is awesome. I compare it to my MAC mineralized skin finish natural..for a FRACTION of the price. It is very finely milled and goes on your face so smooth.
• Maybelline Instant Age rewind in fair. This does a great job at covering up my dark circles. I have 2 kids under the age of 5, and let's admit it, I don't get as much sleep as I should. This definitely helps make me look like I got a full nights rest.
• Benefit Coralista blush. This is the PERFECT blush for spring/summer. It's the perfect coral color, with a satin finish. I just got this about 2 weeks ago, and I haven't stopped wearing it since.
• Urban Decay 24/7 concealer pencil in the "color" DEA. This concealer not only covers whatever problem areas I have (redness, acne, etc), but it's super creamy. BUT, don't let that fool you. It stays put ALL day long.
• Maybelline color tattoo in barely branded. I use this as my eye primer/base. It's a shimmery champagne color, and it doesn't even need a eye shadow on top. I use this on my rushed or minimal makeup days on it's own, or I layer my favorite eye shadows on top.
• Too Faced Boudior Eyes palette. I have been LUSTING (no pun intended) over this palette for MONTHS. I finally caved and bought it for myself. I figured if I wanted it for THIS long, I need to get it. And I don't know WHY I waited for so long. It's amazing, the eye shadows are so soft and the colors are amazing.
• Lorac Pro palette. Again, I waited forever to get this, and I'm not sure why. I mainly use the colors cream, taupe, nude, champagne and lt. bronze. The shadows are so buttery feeling and blend so easily. The selection of matte and shimmery shades is incredible.
• Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner in the color Hustle. Favorite eyeliner for the top last line, hands down (and I have tried about 20 others). It's so smooth to go on, but once it sets, it's there until you take it off. The color is perfect for me, since I don't enjoy black eyeliner. The hustle color is a bronze brown and it goes perfect with my everyday natural looking eye.
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eyeliner in nude. I use this for my inner rim. It instantly brightens up my eyes and makes me look more awake. it's so smooth so it doesn't tug, which is a must for that delicate part of your face. And for less than $4, you can't go wrong.
• Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara. Wow. It really does "crush clumps". It's amazing on it's own or layered with my next favorite.
• Benefit They're Real mascara. LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is my favorite product..ever. It really does make it look like you have fake lashes on. Va-Va-Va-Volume.
• Baby lips in peppermint. Nothing much to say about this product since it just makes my lips super smooth. The scent is awesome too.
• NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla cream pie. This is the perfect spring time color. The gloss is NOT sticky, at all. And believe me, I have a strong dislike for any type of sticky-ness in lip glosses. NYX defiantly have a hit on their hands, at least in my book! I would guess in everyone else's book as well, because whenever I go to get more at Ulta, they're sold out.
• Pantene Silky Moisture Whip. This is a great product. It's one of those products that if I skip it after I shower, I can tell. it makes my hair feel like silk. I am actually almost out of this product and just repurchased it the other day..which says a lot for me. I usually never repurchase items, but this I will repurchase forever.

Well, that's all my current favorites. I told you it would be a bunch. If you want a fuller, more in depth review on any of the products, or want to me to review any certain products, let me know.

What's your current beauty favorites?