NOVEMBER FAVORITES!

OMG is anyone as excited as I am that it's finally December!? This has to be, hands down, one of my top three favorite months of the year. In true beauty blogger/vlogger fashion I filmed a video of my favorites from the month of November to share with you. Read on for a full list of the products I mentioned in the video below!

Get Ready With Me | Soft, Smokey, Cut-Crease

My latest video features one of my favorite looks that I've been wearing lately -- a classic smokey eye with a soft, easy cut-crease. I also show you how I do my makeup after. You definitely can put your own twist on this look and use your own favorite products in place of what I use. Watch below or read on for more info -- hope you enjoy :)

Contour & Highlight Tutorial

Contouring and highlighting have become staples in my makeup routine -- hands down one of my favorite things to do when I apply my makeup for the day. I absolutely love the look of contouring and highlighting and the way it can accentuate or hide certain features of the face. You can keep it simple, or use more product to achieve a more dramatic, defined contour. Watch my tutorial on how I highlight and contour, and continue reading for a full list of products and information :)

(Late) July Favorites!

A few days ago I uploaded my July Favorites video on my YouTube channel. For those of you who aren't subscribed, or those of you who just want to see a list of all the products I mentioned, I figured I'd just share all that with you here. Enjoy :)

Glam Holiday Makeup Look

I'm loving bold lips for the holiday season so I decided to film a makeup tutorial using Urban Decay's Vice 2 Palette and two bold lip options. Watch the video from my channel below and read on for more information about the products I used! :)

Oh and by the way, I linked-up with Kristin over at Your Beauty Fix for her new link up Tell All Tuesdays! Check it out :)

Review -- Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick!

First of all, you must know that Maybelline is one of my favorite drugstore brands. I haven't tried many of their foundations but I'm a huge fan of their mascaras and lip products. I was super excited to try this foundation stick and had high hopes for it. Before I share my opinion, let me tell you a little more about the foundation.

According to Maybelline's website, the Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation Stick comes in 12 shades, is oil-free, has a "powder-core" that is supposed to help eliminate excess oil, and leaves your skin "flawless, shine-free...and natural matte coverage." The website also suggests applying the product then blending with your fingers.

The shade I picked up is in 220 Natural Beige and I must say it is a near-perfect match. I applied the foundation directly to my face and blended it in with my fingers, just as Maybelline suggests. I noticed that with just one layer, the foundation appears to be light-medium coverage. I still could see some of my acne scars and blemishes through the foundation, so I let it set for a few minutes before applying a second layer. The second layer did a better job at concealing the areas where I needed more coverage.

Once the foundation was set, I noticed it felt powdery on the skin -- not oily or sticky like some other foundation can be, and not drying on the skin either. I didn't noticed any excessive shininess to my normally oily skin. 

To really break it down for you, here are my personal pros/cons and final thoughts:

PROS

• Good range of shades to choose from; mine in particular was a near-pefect match
• Quick, easy to use. No special brushes or other tools needed
• Lightweight -- does not feel too heavy or cakey on the face
• Powdery, somewhat matte finish. Did not feel oily/sticky on the skin and did not cause skin to appear excessively shiny or oily
• Buildable. Can easily apply more than one layer to build higher coverage
• Inexpensive price tag. Target has it for just $6.99!

CONS

• Light-medium coverage. Personally, I prefer a higher coverage foundation to a lighter coverage because sometimes layering too much foundation can cause the skin to look cakey
• Not a lot of product in the tube. I feel like I've been going through my stick pretty fast. Maybe that's because when I wear this foundation I layer it to have higher coverage, but I was surprised when I saw how low the stick was getting after having it for only a couple weeks (and not even wearing it every day or every other day for that matter)

TIPS

• As with most foundations, using a primer before applying the product and setting it with a translucent or tinted setting powder afterwards helps to extend the lasting power of your foundation. I always recommend doing both of these steps when wearing any type of foundation
• Do not twist the product up too high! I made the mistake of doing this and broke part of the stick. Luckily it was salvageable, but I have to be careful how high I twist the tube now. Oops!
• Use your fingers to blend. After trying my Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques to blend this foundation, I definitely prefer to use my fingers, just as the website suggests

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Would I repurchase this product? Probably not -- but only because I prefer my higher coverage foundations (like the Revlon Color Stay Whipped foundation), and don't necessarily like to add multiple layers to my skin. 
• Would I recommend this product to a friend? Absolutely! For anyone I know that likes light-medium coverage foundations and needs a quick, easy foundation routine...I would say definitely try this out. For me, however, it just isn't my favorite.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried this yet? Let me know what you think if you have!

xoxo

How I Get Ready For Work!

So I filmed this video YESTERDAY before I left for work and didn't get to edit until really late last night. If you want to see how I get ready for one of my jobs in the morning, watch the video below or read on for more information about the products I use! xoxo

Drugstore Haul!!!

Watch the video on my channel or read on to see what products I mentioned!