Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder has been one of my favorite face products for such a longggg time. It's probably been over three years.  It is a product that I use literally every single day.

The texture is wonderfully silky, fine milled, and smooth. It feels very natural on the skin. Although it says translucent I do believe it might be a little too light for darker skin tones; the color of "translucent" is a light yellow toned cream. For light to medium skin tones it is brightening and won't leave a white cast.

It controls shine on my t-zone without looking cakey and it sets my makeup beautifully for the day, making sure my oily skin does not peak through. It has a semi-matte finish which is perfect if you like your makeup to look glowy. To apply I take a nice, big fluffy brush, dip it in the cap and then concentrate most of the powder on my nose, chin, and forehead-- then do a light dusting on my cheeks. This sets my makeup but does not overly mattify--although if you do like an all matte look, a more dense application would definitely give you that finish. I really have nothing bad to say about it except that it is on the pricier side.

I buy my powder from Sephora or LauraMercier.com, it retails for $35! It's pricey in comparison to other face powders but I absolutely love the effect it has on the skin and I can easily make the powder last over a year since you don't need to use a lot of it.

Disappointing Product: Nivea Lip Butter

Hey guys! Today I wanted to do a quick review on a product I was pretty disappointed in. I am one of those people who does a lot of research before making any type of purchase. It's pretty much an obsession--I spend a ton of time looking up reviews, videos, swatches, and always get samples when I can (especially if it's a high end product). It might be over the top but on the whole I almost always end up with products I don't regret buying. This one slipped through the cracks! My disappointing product for today is the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss.

The Nivea lip butters have been very hyped by bloggers and vloggers alike since they came out two or three months ago. What first intrigued me was the fact that they are called lip butters. With that title I would assume they are super moisturizing. Also, the tins look so irresistibly cute and the flavors sound delicious. Plus, they are easy to find at the drugstore and cheap!

The best thing about the lip butters is the smell--my vanilla & macadamia kiss one smells so amazing I wish I could eat it. That's about the only positive aspect it has going for it. Firstly, this lip butter leaves a white cast on the lips which can be quite unflattering--it's definitely a lip product I just use at home. Most disappointing about it: I don't get any hydration or moisture relief despite it's creamy, buttery consistency. It feels nice on the lips when you first apply it but disappears rather quickly (like within 20 minutes) and does not leave my lips feeling any better. I'm definitely not one who suffers from extremely dry lips--they can get a little bit chapped if I neglect them but overall they're not in terrible shape. So I can really only recommend these if you don't experience ANY dryness whatsoever and just want something to use that smells good. If your lips do get a little dry like most people, go for something else..

With so many amazing lip balms and moisturizers on the market, this one to me is a waste of money. I bought mine (with my own money) at a CVS--depending where you buy yours I believe they are between $3-5. Even though they are cheap I would honestly put that money towards a better product like the Paula's Choice Lip treatment or the Jack Black Lip Balms. It's really a shame because they look adorable in their little tins and smell great.

What's your favorite lip balm at the moment!? Are there any products you've bought lately that haven't worked out for you??

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner Forest Shimmer Ink

Today I wanted to show you another Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner that I have been a fan of for a few months now. I previously talked about how much I love the Black Ink color HERE. I think Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliners are such a fantastic product--I wish I could collect them all!

Forest Shimmer Ink is a sooty dark olivey green with subtle gold shimmer. It is such a stunning color! I personally love wearing it with green, brown, gold, and cream eyeshadows or just on it's own. It's very versatile for a green eyeliner because the brown/olive undertones helps make it more neutral and wearable.

Pigmentation is excellent--it's completely opaque and the shimmer stays on to give a lovely effect on the eyes. Texture is creamy and smooth so it applies very easily with all types of eyeliner brushes. I personally have extremely good wear time with Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners both on the lid and on the waterline. They last all day on me until I remove it at night. Another plus is the packaging. The lids screw on very tight so they don't dry out. My last pot of gel eyeliner lasted three and a half years and was creamy until the day I finished it!

I believe the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners retail for $23--sadly since I lasted posted about my Black Ink liner (here) the price has gone up $2. I found mine at a Macy's counter and I know they sell it at Nordstrom as well. I don't believe you can buy this shade at Sephora since they don't have the full range available. It is definitely on the pricey side but I think it is worth it--the pot lasts forever, the shade is unique, and the wear time can't be beaten (for me at least!).

Would you wear a olive eyeliner like Forest Shimmer Ink? Have you tried Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners!?

Subtle Green FOTD

Lately this has become one of my go to looks. In the last few years green has become one of my favorite colors--which is shocking because I was always a purple girl growing up! As you may know from reading my blog, I'm usually a scaredy cat with very bright color--pairing colors with neutrals is always my favorite thing to do. Today I used a khaki color on the lid with a neutral brown in the crease--the perfect way to wear colors if you want something more subtle. This time I added a touch of Inglot 333 to the outer-v to give it even more of a green tinge! Hope you like it!

Laura Mercier caviar stick Khaki on lid, Urban Decay Naked in crease, Inglot 333 in outer-v. Also a touch of Laura Mercier caviar stick in Sugar Frost right on the tearduct!

Kept the rest of my makeup dewy and natural...and of course, messy hair! :)

Products:

Face:

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat B30

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer (I just hit pan on this! See my review here!)

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Cabo Coral

Benefit Watts Up on cheekbones (from the Sephora birthday gift)

Anastasia Bold & Beautiful Brow Kit

Eyes:
Mac Painterly Paint Pot

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Khaki & Sugar Frost

Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow from Naked 1 Palette

Inglot 333matte

Rimmel Scandaleyes Nude Eyeliner

Benefit They're Real Mascara (also from the Sephora birthday gift!)

Laura Mercier Cake Eyeliner in Black Ebony (to tightline)

Lips:
NEW Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya (I just bought this, will review soon!)

Do you find yourself wearing colors that are more neutral or bright? Do you have any recent favorite color combinations? I don't think I will ever get sick of greens and browns together! :)

Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush: Lover's Blush

Estee Lauder has certainly been making a comeback in the makeup world ever since makeup artist Tom Pecheux became the creative genius behind Estee Lauder's pure color lines. They have come out with a number of exciting products--more pigmented eyeshadows, new lipsticks, colored mascaras, etc. Last year, Estee Lauder's blush line was completely revamped into the Pure Color Blush line we know now. Their blushes are definitely giving blush frontrunners like Nars, Mac, & Illamasqua a run for their money! I've been using the shade "Lover's Blush" a lot recently.

They're housed in a large gold compact and contain a mini brush for touchups. I personally don't like when companies include mini brushes--I usually find the quality to be quite useless and it just takes up space in the compact. I've just kept mine in there unused. The blush size is quite generous, you get .25oz. For the exact same price of $28, you only get .16oz in a Nars blush. Something to think about there! I remember when Nars blushes were much less than they are now and the were same size! Don't get me wrong, I still love my Nars blushes!!

Here's a swatch of the color:

Lover's Blush is a warm peachy, rose shade with bits of gold throughout. The gold is definitely not a gritty, chunky glitter--it's a very, very subtle gold shimmer. This shade would be particularly flattering on warmer skintones. The color is absolutely perfect for giving you a soft, glowy look and because it's not a strong color it can go well with so many different looks. It's become one of my go-to blushes when I want a dewy but natural cheek. You can see me wearing it in this FOTD!!

The Pure Color blush line is heavily pigmented yet also very buildable if you use a light touch. Just a tap in the pan is perfect for the first layer of blush. The texture is soft and powdery, making it easy and quick to blend. As always with blushes, the most important is how long it lasts. I'm happy to report that it lasts all day--a solid 6-7 hours for me and my combo/oily skin!

I really don't have negatives to say about this blush. I think the quality is wonderful and you can see for yourself in person that the shade range is great if you're looking for a wearable color. Many of them are variations on pinks, roses, and peaches. I hope in the future that they come out with more punchy, bold shades, I'd be all over those! Only major negative is the pricetag of $28--though because of the large size it will probably last forever!

What do you think of Lover's blush? Have you tried any makeup from Estee Lauder? I have been using their Advanced Night Repair Serum for a while now and also have a tube of Double Wear Light foundation I need to start using--the serum is incredible, I love it!