March Favorites!

As mentioned in my previous post, I haven’t bought any makeup this month. Kind of…I exchanged some stuff at Sephora and ordered two morphe brushes during their FLASH20 sale. So like 98% less than I usually do. With this self imposed makeup hiatus, I had to dig out some old favorites. Not that I don’t have favorites that I stick to, but when you are constantly buying and trying you don’t really use the same things too often. This month has made me use several of the same items over and over again, so I feel like I can truthfully say I have some March Favorites.

So lets start with Primer. I have been using this combo religiously. The Nivea Sensitive Post Shave Balm and Benefit’s Porefessional. Y’all. Y’ALL. Let me tell you. My makeup doesn’t move. I live in South Carolina, and in March we have already reached high 80’s. And my face has stayed beat. I apply the Porefessional to my tzone and the Nivea every where else. Perfect combo for me!

Nivea shave Balm and Porefessional saving the day.

Kat Von D’s liquid lipsticks are among my favorites. They are incredibly long wearing and not too incredibly drying. I accidentally ordered Exorcism when I truly wanted Vampira. But it was a happy accident because I love Exorcism, the color is so beautifully rich and opaque. Its definitely a bold color, but I love a stand out lip.

I may be one of the few that like a subtle highlight. I think they are beautiful I just don’t necessarily like it on me. Probably because I want my standout to be my lips, always. So even if the highlight color is bold, I always sheer it out quite a bit. Colourpop has an amazing formula for their highlighters and they sheer out great! This month I have been using Most Necessary, they describe it as a “soft copper with rosy gold highlights”. It is perfect for my everyday highlight and gives me the right amount of glow.

A Most Necessary, Exorcism because these products have me possessed. Hehe, done with awful corny jokes.

Most Necessary swatched at the top and Exorcism at the bottom. Exorcism dries a tad bit darker.

So, I knew I liked my NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation but I didn’t realize how much I loved it! I have been on search for a different foundation since December and finally decided on Makeup Forever’s Ultra HD. I bought it in early January and used it consistently up until two weeks ago. I had no reason to reach for the Nars besides the fact that I felt like it. And I am glad I did, maybe I wasn’t applying it well or was using the wrong brush but however I applied it that day gave me the most beautiful finish and I haven’t turned back since. I used my Morphe E44 brush and buffed it in.

And I had to save the best for last. SACHA! The Sacha Buttercup has been my ride or die since I got it late last month. Like I can’t even with it. The color is perfect for my skin tone and the texture is so smooth. It mattifies, prevents creasing, and highlights. I literally have nothing bad to say about it. I need about 50 more jars, stat.

Sacha in all her glory with NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. Shade, New Guinea.

 

KOYVOCA Swatch and Review!

I am using March as my makeup hiatus. I am not buying any makeup and I truly feel like I am about to die. Am I being melodramtic? Absolutely. Do I even care? Absolutely not. Prior to this hiatus I ordered from Koyvoca, Makeup for Dark Skin. Its a black owned business based out of DC. The price range is great. I think the most expensive thing I saw on the site was 16 dollars. They make everything to order, so I had to wait a little minute before it showed up. I think I got it in about 12 days. And boy am I glad because my makeup heartache has been soothed for a couple of days.

I orderd the kv Classic Setting Powder in medium deep, the Hi-Life Highlighter in Liquid Gold, and the Contour Stick in Aphotic. Everything I ordered from Koyvoca is extremely pigmented! The highlighter holds true to the name. It is GOLD and gorgeous. When I first swatched it I literally had to catch my breath. The formula is super creamy and blends out beautifully. The contour stick was a bit difficult for me to move around on my face at first but, I am pretty sure thats because it was cold. Once it sat in my room for awhile and not in the cold mailbox it applied much better. The color was a true match to what I saw online.  And finally, the Setting Powder…I think this was by far my favorite product out of the bunch. It is finely milled and gives my makeup a beautiful finish and staying power. This is the first loose setting powder I have found with such great pigment and lasting power.

From Left to right: Contour Stick in Aphotic,Hi-Life Highligher in Liquid Gold,kv Classic Setting Powder in medium deep

These are the above products blended out.

I definitely have plans to order more things from Koyvoca. I really want to try their lipsticks. They have some beautiful nudes for people of color. The quality and price range is on point and supporting black owned businesses is important! Until next time!

Photos by Alexis Schwallier.

Concealers! High end and Drugstore!

Alright! Let’s jump right in. Concealer has become such an important part of my makeup routine. From color correctors to highlighting to spot fixing-I NEED IT. So, I wanted to make a post about my high end and drugstore holy grail concealers.

For high end I only have one holy grail. The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer is amazingggggg. It sets super quickly so you have to move fast. But there is a plus side to that, it does not budge. Its a concealer for all climates, I live in South Carolina and its already 82 in March. I wore it last Thursday and spent the entire day outside. No creasing and my highlight stayed on all day. I of course set it with my Sacha Buttercup Powder. I use Biscuit and Amande to get my perfect shade. This concealer retails for 29 dollars at Sephora. Its alot but definitely worth it and when it runs out I will definitely replace it.

Okay. Now on to drugstore! I hear lots of people talking about the LA Girl Pro Conceal and I have that too. I like it but I don’t love it. I LOVE the NYX HD Concealer. Its not very thick but the coverage is awesome. It gives me a lightweight full coverage effect. I tried the Urban Decay naked skin concealer and these are very similar. I even returned the Urban Decay because this is almost the perfect dupe. Like all concealers, I set this one to increase the longevity and to keep it from settling into fine lines. For this one, I also mix two colors. I use CW08 and CW07. These retail for 4.99 at Ulta.

From top to bottom NYX CW07, Cw08 NARS Biscuit, Amande

There are definitely more concealers I want to try! High end and drugstore. I have heard amazing things about the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye and Maybelline’s Age Rewind and Fit Me Concealer. Comment Below about the concealers you love and would be worth a try. Thanks, until next time!

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows!

Makeup is always an adventure to me. I sit down, start up my favorite beauty youtubers, and do whatever comes to me. I am by no means a makeup artist but I do pretty decent. However, sometimes I do end up looking a fool and have to start over. Yesterday, I was trying something new with my contour and I just looked like I had finished rolling around in mud. Lipstick is usually my saving grace. I mean, its not the most complicated part of makeup but I have a decent sized canvas and am brave with color choices. ANYWAY. Back to the point of the post…Colourpop’s Super Shock Shadows are my frenemies. I love the concept but the whole application business makes me nervous. So, the other day I went on an adventure with them. Actually it was more like a journey to the rainforest, where I lost my map, one shoe, and got chased by a wild animal. Let me get back on track. I wanted to play in my Colourpop shadows because I have like 15 and if I am gonna own something I might as well use them. I needed two transition shades so I did use my Morphe 35P palette but for the lid and outer corner I used the Super Shock Shadows. I know for the best color pay off they suggest that you use your fingy, but I am not there yet, okay! Also, I have hooded lids so applying shadows with my finger makes me even more nervous. I wanted a more precise application so I used brushes. For the glitter shadows I wet the brush.

 

I used the Morphe 35P Palette for two of the transition shades. For the lid and inner corner I used two shadows from Colourpop’s collection with Kathleen Lights. On the actual lid is Porter and the inner corner is Weenie. When I wet the brush I could really see the gold flecks in Porter and I LIVED. Its a gorgeous shadow. Then the rose gold of Weenie was a perfect compliment. Kathleen did an amazing job on this collaboration, and soon I will do a whole look with the Where the Night is Quad. For more depth in the outer corner I used, Central Perk. Its a really pretty matte burgundy shadow.

I definitely had to prime my eyes to make sure there was no transfer, but I have to do that anyway bc of my hooded lids and I like my shadows to last five-ever. I didn’t line my lids bc I wanted the shadows to stand alone. And I love a clumpy, voluminous lash look so I put on about 4 coats of Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara. And lastly, if you are feeling the lips its a combination of Kat Von D’s Exorcism and Bauhau5.

Photos by Alexis Schwallier.