FOTN: Troy Basketball Game!

I went to the Troy basketball game with my old roommate on Thursday and this was my makeup for the night. I didn't want anything too crazy so I kept the eyes and face simple and worn a great red lip. Sadly, the boys lost by 10 points, but it was still fun to hang out with a great friend! (:

Face: Wet-n-Wild Cover All Foundation ( 816 Fair/Light), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser (Brightener), Elf blush to contour (Mellow Mauve) and NYX blush (Summer Peach)

Eyes: Covergirl Quad (Country Woods), Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner (Blackest Black), Covergirl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara (Very Black) and Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara over the CG one.

Lips: Avon Glazewear Intense Lipgloss (G104 Crimson)

TAG: Pretty in Pink (for Breast Cancer Awareness Month)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

I've known several women who have been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, as I'm sure many of you have, too. Even though Cervical Cancer hits closer to home- my mom lost her battle to Cervical Cancer October 27 2009- I remember getting up with her early on a Saturday in October to participate in Curves Breast Cancer Awareness walk. We participated in the walks for three years and I met the sweetest people and heard some inspiring stories. Since pink is the awareness color and a lot of people wear pink in October for awareness,  I thought it would be fun to create a tag and share our favorite pink beauty and fashion items.

Tag questions...
What is your favorite pink eyeshadow? I absolutely love the pink shade in the Walking on Eggshells trio by Wet-n-Wild. This is probably my favorite eyeshadow trio I have. I've repurchased at least three  or four times. EmilyNoel83 has duped the pink shadow to MAC'S Naked Lunch. Watch her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YILFQeZZ5SI

What is your favorite pink blush? Elf's Blush  from the Studio line in Fushia Fusion. This is a gorgeous bright blue-pink that goes on matte. I know there is shimmer in the pan, but I don't find that my brush picks up the shimmer. Also, some really pink blushes can pull a little red on me and I like that this one doesn't. Elf's blushes are crazy pigmented (as you can see) so a little goes a long way. I think it's pretty obvious that I really like this blush!

What is your favorite pink lipstick? I recently purchased the NYX lipstick in Fig and I can already tell it's a favorite. The color is so opaque. I like this color because it's a natural-pink lipstick that packs a punch.  Oh, and the best part...these are only $3.99 at Ulta. *Picture below of me wearing NYX's Fig.*

What is your favorite pink lipgloss? My favorite is NYX's Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige. I have no idea why they named this lipgloss Beige when it's obviously pink, but nonetheless, it's amazing. Once again, the NYX lipglosses are so pigmented and I love the scent.

What is your favorite pink nail polish? This one was very hard, so I thought the best thing to do would be to choose the shade I wear the most because clearly that means I love it. Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear nail polish in 23- Fushia Power is a pretty classic pink. This is not a unique shade, but it's a color I wear a lot.

What is your favorite pink piece of clothing? I'm not super crazy about the high-low trend, but this sweater was the exception! This was great during the spring months when it was still a little chilly from winter. Because October is all about pink and Breast Cancer Awareness, I'll definitely wear this again...and I'm still obsessed with bright neon colors. 

People I Tag...

• EmilyNoel83 (from BeautyBroadcast)
• Crystalis007
• Michelle1218
• Hollyannnaeree
• Neha Mishra

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I had a wonderful time in Auburn this weekend visiting Ross. On Friday we ordered pizza and just stayed in and on Saturday we made homemade lasagna and he bought us a few bottles of wine. After dinner, he took me to the movies for a date to see Lawless. We thought it was a great movie! 
• I talked to one of my besties today! I was thrilled we were able to catch up...it's been months since we've talked! 
• I also talked to my sister today and I get to babysit my niece and nephew this coming up weekend. I cannot wait! My niece is talking up a storm and my nephew just started walking not long ago! :)

Fixing to leave and watch Lawless. 

Face makeup: Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in 100 Ivory, NYX HD concealer in CW02 Fair, Maybelline Age Rewind in Brightner, Elf Blush in Mellow Mauve (contour) and NYX blush in Summer Peach.

Eye makeup: Revlon Colorstay Quad in 500 Addictive, Elf Cream Eyeliner in Black and  Maybelline The Falsies mascara in Very Black

Lips: NYX lipstick in Fig

What are your favorite pink products?

What's In My Makeup Bag (for school or work)

I love watching videos on YouTube to see what's in other girl's makeup bags. I think we all have this curiosity to see what other ladies rely on to keep them looking fabulous throughout the day. So, I will be showing you what I keep in my school makeup bag for touch-ups. Thankfully, my makeup is usually pretty good about staying in place until I get home from class, but there are days when it's a long school day and there's no telling what I am going to look like at the end of it. I have combination skin and I don't use primers (although I am thinking about trying the Black Radiance Primer that Crystalis007 talked about). So, let's go ahead and take a peek in my travel makeup bag. All products are from the drugstore.

I got this bag from Ross' parents. It came in a cute goodie bag for Valentine's Day! So sweet! :) Anyways, it's the perfect size for my essentials. You can purchase little bags like this from Wal-Mart, Target, etc...

What's in my bag...

• Oil Blotting Sheets- I love the Elf ones and they're only a dollar for 50 sheets. This is a great product for blotting your T-zone (or wherever you get shiny). I don't usually need powder after blotting my face and I've found that my skin looks so much better when I'm not applying more product through the day. Elf can be purchased at target or eyeslipsface.com.
• Powder Compact- I know I just said that I don't use powder after blotting my face, and typically, I don't. But, on the rare occasion I do need a little more help with shine so powder is great for helping keep shine at bay as well as offering extra coverage. Right now I'm using the Covergirl pressed powder in 105 Ivory. It's a great color match, but I don't like this powder and I would not recommend it. I'm just trying to use it up.
• Eyeliner- This is not really a necessity and honestly I don't re-apply eyeliner at school unless I'm going somewhere after and need touch-ups. I keep this in here as a "just in case essential." If it's a long school day and I'm meeting friends after, I may want to touch up before going out. I like the Loreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black- this isn't my absolute favorite, but it is nice. I do like that it's travel friendly.
• Concealer- Like the eyeliner, I don't reapply unless it's a long school day and I'm going somewhere after. I love the Mybelline Age Rewind in Brightner because I feel like there's a touch of coverage, but it's also brightening. I don't have a problem with this getting cakey after applying over other products.
• Eyelash curlers- Bringing an eyelash curler is a must for me! That extra curl throughout the day is a great way to make you look more awake. It's like Emily Eddington (EmilyNoel83 from Beauty Broadcast) said... "Your hair falls throughout the day and so do your lashes..." - or something like that. :) P.S My eyelash curlers are from Revlon.
• A makeup sponge- Sometimes throughout the day your makeup can shift around and not look too good after a few hours. I love taking a damp sponge and blotting my face to help re-blend anything that's shifted around or gotten cakey. I do this step after I use the blotting papers, if needed. I feel like it's not always about adding more product but taking a little away to look more natural.
• Lipgloss/Lipstick/Chap-Stick/Tinted Lip Balm- One way to really  make you look more put together is to reapply something to your lips. I keep chapstick and lipgloss in my bag at all times, but if I'm wearing a specific lipstick that day, I take that too. I love the Carmex chap-stick in Strawberry and Rimmel's Moisture Renew Gloss in Pink Spa (a sheer gloss). Here lately I've been carrying NYX's lipgloss in Beige because it's so much more opaque than Rimmel's. 
• A tampon- Yeah, ladies, it just got a little personal. But, really, it's never a good thing when it's that time of the month and you don't have the personal necessities. I remember in high school I kept an "Oopsie Bag" in my locker with tampons, pads, whatever. It always can in handy when my friends or I would need one ASAP! 
• Tweezers- There's nothing worse than getting in natural light and realizing your eyebrows are a hairy mess. 
• Bobby pins and pony tail holder- I really need to get a teeny tiny travel brush or comb for my bag, but I think it's so important to have a bobby pin to fix little places that have come undone and a pony tail holder to put your hair up.
• A small perfume sample- I love perfume samples because they're so travel friendly. It's always nice to have a little refresher throughout the day to keep your pretty selves smelling nice. I am using Sexy Little Things NOIR by Victoria's Secret right now.
• Gum/Mints - I love having something like gum or mints around to freshen up my breath after lunch or throughout the day if needed. There's nothing worse than being "that girl with the rank break." 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I took the most amazing nap this afternoon. Ah, I needed it so bad!
• I found some sources for my Annotated Bibliography (for my research paper)
• Skype wasn't working tonight so I couldn't see Ross, but at least we were able to talk on the phone.

What are some of your favorite makeup bag essentials?

Review: Concealers: NYX, Covergirl, Hard Candy, Almay and Maybelline.

Let's talk Concealer...
I absolutely love concealer. It's great for covering up dark circles, pigmentation, blemishes, sun spots and more! I think what so great about concealer is if you have amazing skin, you can just pop a little concealer on your imperfections and have a beautiful, clean canvas to work with. Or, if you have more imperfections (scaring, blemishes, dark circles, etc) and uneven skin, concealer is a great way to camouflage without piling on foundation. A lot of girls pile on a full coverage foundation, trying to cover everything and then apply concealer. Foundation is only supposed to even out your skin. The magic of concealer is to give you a little more help, when needed. Today, I'm reviewing five concealers for people with different coverage needs.

Top L to R: Hard Candy Glamoflauge in light, Covergirl Invisible in fair & NYX HD Photogenic in CW02 fair.

Bottom L to R: Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in brightner & Almay bright eyes concealer and eye base.

Hits:

• NYX HD Photogenic Concealer in CW02 Fair. I love this concealer. It is so creamy and pigmented and doesn't settle in tiny fine lines around the eye. The shade I bought is a tad light for me so I will be going with the CW 03 fair next time. The brand has a great shade range. Being pretty pale, I am most always at the end of the lightest spectrum of shades and usually the shade is a touch dark. With this specific line, I was the second shade, which is a bit light for me. There isn't a whole lot of product (.11 oz) but I've had it about a month and a half and still have plenty left because you don't need much at all.
• Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser in Brightner. I have never used the actual concealer, but I've heard great things about it and plan on trying it at some point. As far as the brightner, at first, I didn't like it. I wasn't crazy about the pinky tone, but I've come to love it. I find that the pink tones really, as the name implies, brightens up the eye area and makes you look more awake. I will be repurchasing because I never want to be without it. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is the sponge tip because you can't clean it. 
• Hary Candy Glamoflauge in light. This is a great heavy duty concealer for those of you with more pigmentation, scaring and dark circles. It's pretty creamy and don't find that it settles into fine lines and wrinkles. I cannot use this concealer everyday because it's way more coverage than my skin needs, but it is nice to have whenever my skin is at it's worst. Also, be aware that the light shade is very light. Medium might be the best shade if you're any darker than I am.

Misses...

• Almay Bright Eyes- concealer and eye base  I do not recommend this product at all! I got this concealer about a year ago. It was on clearance for $2.49 and I had a $2 off coupon, so I got it for only .49 cents. Thank goodness I got this for a massive deal because it really, really sucks. The color is way too yellow and the pigmentation is okay, but not great and doesn't really conceal that well. Although I'm not crazy about using eye primers, I do use this from time to time so it isn't a total waste, but I guess for .49 cents, it's not that serious. 
• Covergirl Invisible in Fair. I can only wear this product on really good skin days. The reason why it's a miss for me is that sometimes it can shift around because of my eye cream. My under eye area is so dry, so I have to wear it and I don't like how this can shift on me and make everything worse. Before I turned 24 and I didn't need an eye cream, this concealer was great and if you have young, amazing skin, I think this would be great for you, but it doesn't work for me anymore. 

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I bought some new nail polishes today from the Sinful Colors Muse Collection- $1.99 each. I will be reviewing them sometime this week.
• Found a rediscovered blush favorite today. Loving Wet-n-Wild's blush in Heather Silk. It was one of  favorites last year and I'm remembering how much I loved it.
• Going to see my old roommate today. Looking forward to catching up!

What's your favorite concealer?