shopping with me: forever 21 april picks

Am I slightly creepy if I say that I enjoy when people post about their shopping process? Oh it is flat out creepy you say? Well, I guess I am a self admitting creep then because I'm not going to deny it. I love shopping posts. I felt like spending money on clothes (actual clothes! Not makeup, shocker) this past weekend. My mind was set on finding breezy summer tops and flouncy dresses. Sadly no dresses caught my eye but I found a fistful of shirts at Forever 21 that caught my eye. Wallet friendly and great finds. Ready to shop with me?

MINT

I really liked the left minty top because it had interesting beading with strategic patterns. However I didn't buy it because the material felt cheap and it cost $30 and while that isn't expensive I knew I wasn't going to get much wear out of it before it 1. shrunk 2. fell apart. I did pick up the right top, the material was silky and the cut was basic. I didn't like it nearly as much as the first mint top but I knew it would look good with white shorts in the summer time and that it was a piece my sister would want to borrow from me.

BLACK & WHITE

I always have to restrain myself from buying only all black or all white clothing. The color palette of my wardrobe is pretty boring! But I wear everything to death. Practical! The polka dot shirt I actually saw someone wear so I had my mindset on finding it. Very comfortable material and adorable pattern. As for the tank, I am a sucker for black and white stripes, adding buttons just made it a done deal. I bought both of these.

COLLARED TANK

The collared sleeveless button up seems to be the trendy piece right now since I saw so many different styles of it. I loved both of my picks. The left reminds me of a tuxedo and it has black lace paneling on the sides. The right is a nautical piece, you can't tell from my shoddy picture but it has sailboats printed all over it. I do wish they were anchors instead, but I still thought it was a nice summer piece.

PATTERNED WHITES

I bought the whimsy floral top on the left but did not buy the eyelet double material top on the right. I wish the eyelet/jean top had a better fit because I loved the idea and design of it. It was too boxy on me, it made my body look not proportional.

What do you think? Do you like shopping posts? Has any cute summer dresses caught your eye? I think I will have to shop online for those, nothing in the stores tickled my fancy.

review: revlon nearly naked foundation

Revlon claims this foundation to be "refreshingly light, it melts right in, creating a fresh even look. Blends seamlessly, buildable coverage. No heavy cakey or greasy mess." When Revlon Nearly Naked foundation first launched, I tried my best to resist buying it. I didn't need a new foundation and the description, although appealing, made me wary on how well it would perform on my oily skin type. Curiosity got the better of me so I bought it on a whim. So how does it fare?

PRICING/AVAILABILITY/PACKAGING
You can find this in pretty much any drugstore where the price will vary between $8-11. It is cased in a glass bottle with a white plastic cap, sans pump. Nothing special or bad about the packaging, I normally just dump the desired amount onto the back of my hand. I also shake up the product before dispensing just to make sure all the pigment is evenly dispersed.

WEARING REVLON NEARLY NAKED FOUNDATION ALONE

CLOSER LOOK

FINISH/COVERAGE
The finish is very nice, very skin like. It isn't unnaturally matte nor too shiny. This is my favorite part about the foundation. The coverage is also decent and buildable. Think light to medium coverage. It does a great job at evening out the skin tone. If you are looking for something to cover dark scars or blemishes, you will need some help with concealer as this foundation won't cover it completely. I don't mind this, I dislike full coverage foundations since they always look unnatural and too made up for me.

FULL FACE

CONSISTENCY/FORMULA
The viscosity is thin and fluid. It is easily spreadable though I don't think this helps with its ability to blend. I notice that if I have a little too much product applied, it has a hard time blending seamlessly into the skin. I will see streak marks from my foundation brush (Real Techniques Buffing brush). When that happens I have to take my hands to press the product in and to make the marks disappear. This contains 20 SPF. I don't notice any harsh photography effects from SPF. There is a bit of a funky makeup scent to it, but it dissipates after application.

FULL FACE CLOSER LOOK

WEAR TIME
I had my doubts about the wear time of this foundation...and I was right to have them. This just does not last on me. After around 4 hours, I turn into an oil slick. I tried using my Urban Decay De-slick spray, my Dream Matte Maybelline powder, and my NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder. The NARS powder made it last slightly longer, but not my much. Since I have oily skin, I am used to seeing small amounts of oil creep its way through halfway through my day. This foundation left me very oily, more than normal.

The above picture was taken with my iPhone about 4 hours after application. Sorry for my less than enthused face :P You can see that my nose and inner cheeks are quite shiny and slick. If I blot, it usually keeps oil away for another four hours but I noticed definite fading of the color by the 6-8 hour mark.

SWATCHES
From left to right: Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation in Shell, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in OC-1, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24HR in 260 Bisque N, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx06.

SHADE
I purchased the shade Shell. There are 16 shades available. I don't think this foundation caters much to darker skin complexions unfortunately. This shade doesn't match me perfectly. I have quite a bit of yellow to my skin. This foundation swatches warm but for some reason when I blend it into my skin, it turns neutral on me. It isn't hugely noticeable but I wanted to mention it.

OVERALL
For my oily skin type, this just does not last on me. This is a shame since I love the coverage and natural finish. In all fairness, Revlon did not boast this to be long lasting, only to be light and non cakey, which it truly is. Perhaps in the winter when my skin isn't as oily I will have better luck with it. The blendability can be an issue if you don't gauge the correct amount of product to use so start small and add more as you go to figure out the right balance. I think those with dry - normal skin types with few blemishes would really enjoy this as their day time foundation as it is very light and breathable. If you have oily or combo skin I wouldn't recommend it unless you don't mind blotting and don't care about the longevity of your foundation.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FOUNDATION IF:

+ You prefer a natural looking finish
+ You have dry to normal skin with few blemishes
+ Longevity isn't a worry for you
+ You are in the market for an affordable daytime foundation

I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOUNDATION IF:

+ You prefer full coverage
+ You like a matte finish
+ You have oily skin
+ You need a long lasting foundation

If you want to see this foundation in action, check out my getting ready with me post. Have you tried this foundation? What do you think of it?

In case you wondered:

Face: Revlon Nearly Naked, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, Maybelline Age Brightener Concealear, Maybelline Dream Matte Powder, Stila Bronzer, Bobbi Brown Cabo Coral Pot Rouge, Estee Lauder Modern Mercury

Eyes: Urban Decay Naked Palette, Giorgio Armani Waterproof Eyeliner, L'Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara

Lips: Estee Lauder Impulsive Coral Gloss

in with the new: a skincare switch up

While I'd like to say my skincare routine is relatively simple, I think I'd be clutching at straws with that claim. Actually I'm fairly certain my ritual involves more products than the average person. Regardless, skincare is something I revel in so I don't mind it one bit. I have a structure to my madness at least. Well with a few of my skincare items done and gone it seems reasonable that I had to replace them, yes?

I like to have three types of cleansers on hand. An oil cleanser to melt off face makeup, a clarifying cleanser for at night and to use with my Clarasonic, and a gentle usually non-foaming cleanser in the morning to rinse off the nighttime grime. Replacing my previous gentle cleanser is Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Milk. I have been using this for a couple weeks and so far I like it. It is gentle but I actually feel like it has kept my skin clearer and less congested. It has quite a funky scent though!

At night after applying toner, I like to use a treatment of some type to work its magic while I sleep. Since I finished up the Ole Henriksen serum, the Murad T-zone Pore Refining Gel has taken its place. Quite the curious product. It smells like tart berries and has a thin gel texture. Too early to say if it is doing anything but I'll be sure to keep you updated. I have been rotating between Origins Charcoal and REN Glycol Lactic Radiance masks but to add to the party I threw in Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask too. I have only used this once but it was pretty intense. It looks and smells like a creamy mint toothpaste and the tingle is pretty strong, which I actually don't mind. If you have sensitive skin I would steer clear though.

What is in your skincare lineup right now?

006 items I've used up

Time for another installment of items I've used up. These type of posts are one of my favorites to read through on other blogs. Who knew us hoarding beauty bloggers would ever feel so accomplished USING UP things? I have quite a mixture of products this time with (happily!) a nice handful being makeup items. What did I use up this time?

HAIR
First up is hair care, something I never stick to. I am always trying out different brands. I tried out Herbal Essence Hello Hydration Conditioner and I didn't care for it. It left my hair weighed down. I ended up using the rest of it for shaving purposes since I prefer to use conditioner in place of shaving cream anyway (no razor burn ever!) I also used up Ojon Damage Reversal Shampoo. Nothing much to say about it besides that it has quite a medicinal herbal scent and I didn't notice any damage reversal to my hair. I don't recommend it since it is quite expensive for a product that didn't deliver.

MAKEUP
As for makeup, I powered through mascara this time around. Kind of shows that what I used didn't last very long? To give you a brief rundown of what I look for in a mascara: volumizing, inky black, doesn't flake, doesn't transfer. I tried out L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion which I didn't care for. It lengthened more than volumized which was a problem with me since lengthening isn't a huge priority to me. I also finished up Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Excess, which was ok. Nothing I would repurchase for the price point it is at. I finally got around to trying out Maybelline Falsies Flared. I didn't think that was great either, it transferred and didn't volumize enough. Last makeup item is L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liner which is a forever favorite of mine and I have already repurchased a new one to replace it.

NAILS/LIPS
A couple of favorites in this category. Used up a bottle of Seche Vite which is the best top coat I've tried so far even though it has the incredibly annoying trait of thickening up towards the end. What top coat do you recommend I try next? I also finished up the magic blue pot that is Blistex Lip Medex.

BODY CARE
I have such an extensive amount of Bath & Body Works lotion in my bathroom closet that I don't think I will get through it for a solid year. I am plowing through them though and have been good at not buying anything else until I'm done with it all. I used up the scents Pomegranate Citrus, Berry Vanilla, and Mandarin Mango with my favorite of the three being the latter.

SKINCARE
I've been having a lot of fun trying out new skincare items. I liked two items and didn't care for the other two. Being positive first, LUSH Magnaminty Mask was definitely an item I enjoyed. I was so sad to see this be gone. I really recommend it if you feel like your skin is congested or have been having breakouts. I also really enjoyed Ole Henriksen Enlighten Me Serum though I don't think I would repurchase it since I want to try out new things. I did a full review of it HERE.

As for the two items that didn't wow me, Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser and La Roche Posay Toleriane Lotion. The Avene cleanser was a little TOO gentle for me. It didn't break me out or make my skin feel bad but I felt like it didn't do anything positive either. As for the Toleriane lotion, I used this up when my skin was in its crazy dry stage and it didn't relieve my dryness. I also went through it very quickly which was a shame since the product was around 30 dollars.

And that's it! I feel like I have been dragging through using up items. So I leave you now with two things, a notice and a request. First, the notice: I updated my tags which you can view on the sidebar. I reduced it down to specific labels to help with navigation to what subjects you want to read. As for my request, what is your favorite topcoat? As much as I love Seche Vite the formula getting thick at the end drives me crazy!

the basics: a quick face

I have this theory that almost everyone has a preference for quick, easy, yet put together looks. Convenience is a powerful persuader. Although I do enjoy the whole ritual of applying makeup and the having the power of transformation, wasting time is something I try to avoid. My philosophy to a basic and quick face involves having an arsenal of easy to use products in a pliable color palette.

My base as of late has been Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation (review coming soon, promise!) It is an easy base to use since it has a breathable and blendable formula. However, I would only recommend it for normal to dry skin. To prolong my base I rely on a good powder. I was using my NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder because of the sheer uncontrollable anticipation I had towards its release but now that the excitement has worn off, logic has settled in. I am back to finishing up my Maybelline Dream Matte Powder. As for blush, always make time for it. Even if you are in an absolute rush. Seriously it makes a difference! MAC Warm Soul is a perfect pick, it has the dual capability of being a bronzer and blush. All that is left now for the face is highlighter, any kind will do as long as you have one! Highlighter can be crucial for aiding your skin into looking healthy and fresh when it is having a lackluster day. I have been reaching for my hybrid textured Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Highlighter but any will do whether you prefer cream or powder.

For eyes, the best route for a quick look is a cream shadow. It can be slapped on haphazardly and without any tools if need be. I have been using Estee Lauder Chained Shadow Paint as a friend kindly gifted it to me. So far I am really enjoying the formula since it can be sheered out as a wash or layered on intensely. If you know me by now, you know my signature look is the smoked out bottom lash line. For this I added MAC Smolder into my waterline. Smolder can be tricky since it is quite smudgy so beware! I also blended a bit of Smolder in my top lash line as well. Finishing off the eyes with a quick coat of a broken in tube of L'Oreal Voluminous Original Mascara and my look is almost finished.

Usually I add some sheer gloss or balm to the lips and head out the door. But lately, I have been reaching for Revlon Mauve It Over Matte Lipstick. The color is just so interesting. Not quite fully nude, not quite bold either. Every time I wear it I am surprised at how much I like it. Pulled this little guy out of my Box of Neglect so look forward to hearing more about it in the next round I post.

The basics: everyone has their own philosophy and approach to it. What are your basics? And, random, but how do we feel about ponytails? I for one never like them on me but lately I have been attempting to be wild and try it out ;)

spring lip lusting

Ahhh can you feel it readers? Spring weather is approaching and I for one could not be happier about it. I am ready for spring flowers to push their little heads out of the dirt, clear blue skies, fun floral dresses, and my latest fixation: colorful lips. My last obsession was facial masks and now that has been pushed aside (well, more gently nudged aside since I am still indulging in more masks than necessary) for fun lip colors. Think poppy, tangerine, and coral.

Dior Delice gloss has caught my eye, especially seeing it on both Taylor and Teri. It looks like an effortless soft coral that strongly reminds me of my Estee Lauder Impulsive Coral gloss that I adore and am about to run out of. Perfect replacement, no? Staying in the same color family, MAC See Sheer is a color I have been curious about lately since I feel it probably is an underrated color in MAC's lineup. I have never swatched this in person so I will have to wander over to MAC and get to swiping.

As for tangerine shades, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Rendezvous has me wanting to visit the closest drugstore ASAP. I always ignored this range as the colors that I had previewed before looked lackluster. But I think the shade that screams spring to me the loudest is poppy. The orangey red shades contrast so spectacularly against green grass, yellow sunshine, cream blouses, dark hair, etcetera, etcetera. Yes this is the second time I have had Tom Ford Wild Ginger on my wishlist. No the pangs of longing won't go away. Finally, stepping out of the bright and bold hues, NARS Stain Lip Pencil in Rikugien is a delicate tawny rose shade that look so good on Liz at Cafe Makeup that it made it immediately on my wishlist. I picked up Burberry Copper based off pictures of Liz wearing it and I haven't doubted her recommendations since.

What lip colors have you been lusting after? I was going to mentioned Revlon Strawberry Suede as well, but it looks like that has been discontinued D: