Stich Fix Review

I posted a video on my channel the other day about my first experience with Stitch Fix (this is not a sponsored post FYI). Stitch Fix is a company that provides styling services delivered to your door based on your personal preferences. When you sign up for Stitch Fix you fill out a questionnaire that asks you about your shape, size, budget, lifestyle, etc. After answering all the questions and paying a styling fee of $20, Stitch Fix sends you a box containing five potential pieces to add to your wardrobe. After trying on your items, you keep what you like and send back what you don't. The $20 you paid up front gets taken out of your grand total no matter how many pieces you keep.  You can watch the video below to hear how my first experience went. I give you an in-depth look at everything that came in my box, what I'm keeping, what I'm returning, and what really disappointed me about this first go-round. I also go into more detail below the video.

L'Oreal Visible Lift Foundation | A New Favorite

Okay so here's the thing...

I've tried out a bajillion foundations in my short time as an active makeup enthusiast and I have found only a handful that take the cake. This foundation is one of them.

I am talking about L'Oreal's newest foundation, the Visible Lift Blur Foundation. I am so in love that words cannot even do it justice. I love the coverage, the plethora of shades that are available, the texture, the longevity, the price, and just the overall existence of this product. Let my latest video speak for itself. I cannot say enough good things! Once again, amazing job, L'Oreal!

Oh, and by the way, I have grown to love this even more when applying it with my beauty blender! ;)

xoxoxoxo

Dreaming of Spring -- Affordable Fashions

With winter still in full force here in Pittsburgh my wardrobe has become increasingly drab and boring. I now cringe every time I throw on another oversized sweater and shimmy my pants over one pasty-pale leg at a time. I dream sweet dreams of warmer weather filled with pastels, skater skirt dresses, high waisted shorts, and cute sandal wedges.

Since half the time it's been too life threatening to leave the comfort of my home (slight exaggeration) and enter into the arctic tundra, I've been perusing the wonderful world of the Internet to fulfill my own version of at-home window shopping. I've come across some awesome clothes and shoes for Spring and thought I'd share them with you. One of my favorite little corners of the world wide web to plan where I'll spend my tax return money? TOBI. You'll understand when you see below (I could've easily shared just about their entire collection of clothing and shoes).

Also, if you'd like to see two of my latest videos from my YouTube channel, you can click here or scroll to the very bottom of this post. Enjoy! :)

Rina Romper / $66

Callie Cutout Cami Jumpsuit / $49

In the Meadows Dress / $39

Monday Must Haves #2

This Monday I have two more beauty items that I consider must-haves in my collection. If you missed last week's must-haves you can take a look at the products I talked about here. This week I'm talking primers and liquid liners (totally did not mean for that to rhyme, but sounds good doesn't it?)

[Oh and by the way, I'm experiencing some technical difficulties with my navigation bar that links to all my different pages, so if you need to get back to the main page of my blog just click the Glam Candy header and it will take you there. Sorry for the inconvenience!]

Benefit Porefessional

Image c/o Sephora

I swear clouds parted and a choir of angels began to sing a heavenly song the first time I put this on my face. This is a holy grail must-have beauty product, especially for someone who has larger(ish) pores and an uneven complexion like me. In my experience this primer smooths out your skin, minimizes pores, controls shine, and makes your makeup apply and look even better. It is lightweight formula that doesn't feel heavy or greasy on the skin like some other primers. You can wear it under or over your foundation. Regardless of how you wear it, the trick is to lightly pat it into your skin rather than rub it all over the place. Sometimes I will pair this with another primer that is specifically formulated for wearability/duration since my skin is so oily and my makeup has a tendency to melt off my face on occasion. At $30 this primer may be a little on the expensive side, but it is well worth the splurge. If you're on the fence, just go for it and give it a try. I will always continue to repurchase this primer!

NYC Liquid Eyeliner

Image c/o Amazon

I must have been living under a rock for the last couple of years because I had never tried this liner until about a month ago. I have heard people rave about this product for quite some time, so I finally decided to give it a try and I am so happy I did! This liquid liner is SO pigmented, goes on super smooth, is extremely long lasting, and makes it easier to achieve the almost perfect wing. I feel like the wand gives you more control and allows you to create a very precise line. I still love my L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner, but one of the other great things about the NYC liner is the price. It retails for just a couple bucks (I think I got mine for $2.99 at the drugstore), and is still a quality liner. Hats off to you, N.Y.C., you have created an amazing product that I will repurchase again and again!

>>>>>>

Have you tried either of these products before? What are some of your must-haves? I'd love to know!

xoxo

Monday Must-Haves #1

I have been fighting a nasty cold since Saturday morning so despite my high hopes of filming some new videos, I can't seem to sit in front of the camera without sneezing, hacking, or blowing my nose. I have been itching to get something on the blog lately, so I figured I'd give this new series a try. Every Monday I am going to attempt to share, describe and/or review a product or two that I feel is a must-have -- whether it be a makeup, hair, skin care, or any other random product I own and truly love. Once I'm feeling better I definitely plan on filming videos for this series! Let me know your thoughts! :)

This Week's Must-Haves:

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush

If you have seen any of my makeup tutorials since Christmas, you know I am obsessed with this makeup brush. To be honest my foundation application has been forever changed since this heavenly little tool came into my life. My foundation goes on smoother, looks flawless, and I feel like I use less product with it. I will most likely purchase multiple F80s in the near future so I can have some on hand when I wash the one I currently own. The $21 price tag is worth every pretty penny -- I can just about guarantee you won't be disappointed; I have yet to meet a foundation brush that compares to Sigma's F80 and have no desire to search for another brush to do the job. I am so obsessed and so in love with this brush it's almost comical. I just cannot say enough good things about it. I would highly recommend this tool to anyone and everyone and consider it one of my top must-haves in my entire makeup collection. I could go on and on about this brush but I will spare you what would become a mushy love letter/ode to the Sigma F80 (and just so you know, this post is entirely my opinion and not sponsored by Sigma or any other company. I received the brush as part of a gift from my parents or else I would have purchased it with my own money).

Teasing Brush

Hellooooooo if you want voluminous, Texas-esque hair on a daily basis (or even just every so often), you MUST get yourself one of these little guys. Teasing brushes have SAVED my thin, fine, lifeless hair. Unlike some of you lucky ladies out there, I was not blessed with a thick, beautiful, voluminous head of hair, so I have to fake it on a somewhat daily basis. Cue the teasing brush. I think I started purchasing teasing brushes about two years ago and I don't know why I never did before then. They bring LIFE and volume and just overall sexiness to my hair that I never thought possible before. Currently, I'm using a brush from Goody, but I've also purchased some from Sally's prior to the one I own now. I realize teasing is not the best for your hair in general, but my hair would be lost, limp, and lifeless without my teasing brush! I bring it with me almost every where I go, and regardless of the hairstyle I wear, I always find a way to give my hair a little bit of a tease.

Do you use either of these products? What are some of your must-haves?

xoxo

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