Mini Reviews #1! Physicians Formula, CoverGirl, NYC

Hey guys, happy weekend!  I've been saying for awhile now that I've had several products waiting to be reviewed.  Since I still haven't found time to write up full reviews of them, I decided doing "mini reviews" would be a good solution.  Today I have four products to share with you, from Physicians Formula, CoverGirl, and NYC.

(Note: for more info/photos of the PF Happy Booster blush and NYC lip stain, please visit my recent favorites post, here!)

Clockwise from top left: Physicians Formula Happy Booster blush in Natural, Physicians Formula Conceal RX in Soft Green, CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation in 315 Bamboo, NYC Smooch-Proof lip stain in Forever Mine Wine

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting blush in Natural

Hello, pretty!  I raved about this in my previous favorites post (link at the beginning of this post), and I love it here, too.  A lot of it has to do with the cuteness factor, I'll admit it- I really loathe shimmer blushes, but the fact that it SMELLS LIKE VIOLET, is decked in hearts, and is the prettiest peachy-pink shade allows me to overlook that small fact.  The packaging is kind of bulky, and as I opened it for the first time the piece where the top locks into place broke off.  As long as I don't lift up the blush part to use the brush underneath it's fine, but still kind of off-setting.  At any rate, the product itself is gorgeous!

Physicians Formula Conceal Rx Physicians Strength in Soft Green

Physicians Formula has to be the drugstore brand with the longest names ever.  The blush I'm mini-reviewing in the post has one too.  Who has time for that?!  When you're finally finished saying the name you've forgotten what you're talking about.  I digress.

I bought this concealer about a month ago, totally meant to review it, but forgot about it because it has gotten practically no use from me.  I thought the idea of a green concealer would be great.  This one, however, is too thick and cakey- the thickness is too much to blend easily and it's incredibly dry.  It also doesn't look good underneath your skin-colored concealer; it turned my skin an ashy color.  Not a fan, but I would love to know if anyone has tried it and made it work for them!

CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation in 315 Bamboo

I've been using this off and on since I got it about a month ago.  The color is a tiny bit dark for my face, but it still works.  The only thing I dislike about this foundation is the coverage- I can't stand foundation/face makeup that gets into the "medium coverage" category, because even that feels too heavy to me.  This feels a little heavy even though it is I think technically "lightweight" coverage.  I love the squeeze bottle, though- the packaging makes me think it's a tinted moisturizer sometimes!  The finish is just right for me- not overly dewy, but not matte, either.  I always top my foundations with some type of powder (whether its bronzer or translucent), so this is no exception.  If I wasn't so picky about the coverage levels of my face makeup, I'd probably love this. 

NYC Smooch-Proof 16 hour lip stain in Forever Mine Wine

This has got to be my favorite out of the bunch!  I use it every time I want a deep, "seductive" lip that I don't have to worry about too much throughout the day.  It lasts me a good four hours (without drinking) and the color is just fabulous.  I also love the idea of lip stains (I know, I'm kind of a newb when it comes to lip products, haha), because I don't even feel them once they dry.  This one does cling a little to patchy areas on my lips, but it's not obvious in person.  I can't wait until this summer when I'm back in proximity to a Walmart (no where close to me stocks NYC, it's really strange!) so I can pick up more of these!

That's it for my mini reviews post!  I hope they were still thorough enough to give you an idea of how the products worked for me.  Anything you've tried/loved/hated?  Thanks for reading! :)

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Favorites, finally! (As of recently)

I know I totally missed my March favorites post- I had every intention to do it (I've been able to try out quite a few new things recently compared to normal), and then time just escaped me.  However, I decided I could still do a favorites post even if it's not an official "monthly" one.  I hope that's OK with you all!  I'll still do an April favorites so I don't get off track.

Clockwise from upper left:
1. Lancome color design quad (filigree, kitten heel, click, the new black)-  My mom got this eyeshadow mini as part of a GWP and since she doesn't really wear eyeshadow, she gave it to me.  The colors are gorgeous!  I'm not a fan of The New Black (I have it in the full-sized version from years ago) as the glitter is chunky and the texture isn't smooth, but I'm in love with the peach, taupe, and gold.

2.  Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting blush in Natural-  I got this over spring break but started using it regularly just recently.  I'm not a huge fan of shimmer blushes, but the color is perfect- it has enough pink to still be peachy (without leaning too orange).

3.  Maybelline Fit Me foundation in 115 Ivory- I've been using this on and off for the last month, and it's what I turn to when I'm in need of a bit more coverage.  It's still on the lighter side of the spectrum, but being someone that really dislikes foundation, it gives me enough without feeling heavy.  It's also creamy and moisturizing on my dry skin.  I was actually a little surprised I was this light, but seeing as I haven't gone out much this winter my skin has lightened up a fair amount.

4.  ELF Studio contour brush- I'm loving this for more precise crease work.  I wrote my review of it which you can find here!

5.  Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous- This is the version with the curved brush.  I bought this to use for my friend's makeup in the film I worked on, and then I kept it for myself afterwards. ;)  I'm planning on writing a review of it in the near future, because I love the volume and length it gives.  I normally dislike Maybelline mascaras so I was a little surprised!

6.  NYC Smooch-proof 16-hour lip stain in Forever Mine Wine- This might go into holy grail status for me in terms of lip products.  I haven't tried many, but this one lasts literally all day and fades evenly.  The color is gorgeous, too- extremely flattering on my fair skin.  I'm planning a review on this one too.

Swatches:

 

Left to right: Lancome color design quad, Physicians Formula blush, NYC lip stain, Maybelline Fit Me foundation

Thanks for reading!  I also received my Sigma F80 flat top kabuki in the mail this week, so stay tuned for my review and giveaway. :)

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Review: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Powder

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Powder

Price: MSRP $13.95. $11.99 at Harmon’s, with a $3-off peelie coupon on packaging. Physician’s Formula was also on sale at Harmon’s in February for an additional $2 off, making the total only $6.99.

Claims: “Versatile powder color corrects the most common skin imperfections, smoothes skin texture and evens out skin tone. All colors blend together to create a perfect canvas finish: Pink brightens, Green tones down redness and Yellow adds warmth. High-tech Japanese formula delivers a natural-looking finish that won't cake, crease or settle into fine lines.”

Ingredients: Mica, boron nitride, mineral oil, aluminum distearate, petrolatum, tocopherol, phenoxyethanol. May contain: titanium dioxide, iron oxides, carmine, ultramarines

Review: I’d seen a few advertisements for this product lately, and lord knows I need all the color-correcting I can get. So when I saw a new display at Harmon’s (and a generous discount from the normal price) I snatched it up without much of a second glance. It proudly proclaims itself as talc-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, etc, which seems like the recipe to a perfect product.

When I finally got around to opening the packaging and getting a good look at the ingredients, I found two ingredients I never thought I’d see in powder: mineral oil and petrolatum. Shock! Horror! Everyone knows you’re not supposed to put mineral oil and petrolatum on your face! That’s just a bunch of clogged pored waiting to happen! Regardless, I decided to give it a shot and used it anyway.

I’ve been using it every day for nearly a month now. Does it cover my redness? No. Does it brighten my skin? No. Does it add warmth? No. Does it cake, crease, or settle into fine lines? Yes, yes, and yes! I don’t know if I’ve ever used a powder this bad before, and I’m not sure why I continue to use it.

The powder itself is pressed, but upon brushing it, comes off in large granules – much bigger particles than your average powder. It can make a mess over your clothes or whatever surface you’re applying it near if you're not careful.

Immediately upon application, it looks very powdery and very pale. I bought the translucent shade (I am fair and generally use the lightest shade of every makeup) yet it’s not really “translucent”, more like “opaque white” – definitely not a human skin color unless you’re going for the geisha or vampire look. It gives me a ghostly aura, and is especially powdery on and around my nose. It doesn’t blend in, even with a lot of brushing or rubbing. The powdery pale look goes away after a while, but it cakes around blemishes and settles in the creases of my eyelids in big cakey chunks by mid-day, so much that I have to wipe it off.

 No one needs to see my face this close up, but this is the unnatural powdery finish I'm left with after application (no other makeup on).

The one perk might be that, as powdery as it is, it doesn’t feel powdery or drying at all – probably because of the mineral oil and petrolatum. I haven’t been able to attribute any breakouts to the use of this product, which is a relief, but I’d stay away if petrochemicals usually bother you. Actually, I’d just stay away from this stuff altogether.

Packaging:  Cute little compact with a clear top and double-layered design with a mirror and brush storage underneath. The brush is adorable in pale pink, yellow, and green, but is unfortunately so rough and scratchy I stopped using it after the first try.

 Overall rating: D – HUGE disappointment :(

Would purchase again? No

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FOTD/EOTD: Hello Physicians Formula

Having done several muted, smoky daytime looks this week, I woke up this morning with an urge to use some pops of color!  Today was the perfect day to try something random as I didn't have anywhere I really needed to go (besides a local outdoor store to get this Mountain Hardwear jacket!  So exciting!).  So, I pulled out one of the few "bright" eyeshadow palettes I have here, my Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips for Green Eyes Pop!, and got to it!  I actually thought this look would be much more vibrant before I started, and when I finished it's not that at all.  Definitely colorful, but wearable enough.
I also ended up using three different Physicians Formula products here, hence the title of the post.
(Side note:  please excuse my unusually dark eyebrows in these pictures!  I filled them in a little today, which I normally don't do.  I really love what I use- MAC Impeccable Brow pencil in Taupe- but I don't think I need to fill in my entire brow, lol.)

(I used the top three colors, for reference)

Face:

- Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation in Ivory 2-3

- Revlon Colorstay Blemish concealer in Fair

- ELF Studio Complexion Perfection powder (I actually don't really like this- just a note)

- Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon blush in Pearlescent Pink 

Eyes:

- VS Pro eyeshadow primer

- Light violet from Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips eyeshadow for Green Eyes, Pop! collection

- Lime green from PF

- Frosty white from PF

- ELF mineral eyeshadow in Confident (a deep shimmery grey-ish taupe, outer corners)

- Violet eyeshadow from 88 Matte palette (I used this over the violet from the PF palette because I wanted the color to pop more, and the PF wasn't doing it.  I also put this along my lower lash line)

- Matte cream eyeshadow from 88 Matte palette (as base highlight along brow bone.  I put the shimmery white from the PF palette over this)

- Physicians Formula Gel/Cream eyeliner for Green Eyes, purple shade

- Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara in Black

- MAC Impeccable Brow pencil in Taupe (brows)

Lips:

- Burt's Bees shimmer lip balm in Watermelon

Happy weekend!  Hope you all have a great Friday.  <3

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EOTD/FOTD: Green liner and a nude lip

This is a look I did today using my Physicians Formula cream eyeliner (The green shade from the trio for green eyes), and the lipstick I received from Jamie, Rimmel Moisture Renew in Spotlight Beige.  In the tube it looks like a mid-toned nude shade, but on my lips it turns a little more coral.  I thought it would pair nicely with a green/brown eye!

(Excuse my imprecise application of the eyeliner!  I didn't realize it wasn't so "neat" until I took these pictures, LOL)

Eyes products/ How I used them:

-Victoria's Secret VS Pro eyeshadow primer

-Champagne eyeshadow all over lid/crease (lid color from my WnW trio Walking On Eggshells)

-Matte cream highlight color (from my WnW palette Vanity)

-Shimmery mid-tone brown color in my outer corner/crease for depth (Shimmer brown from same WnW palette Vanity)

-Physicians Formula gel liner for green eyes, the black color, in a thin line at the base of my upper lash line (Just to make my lash line look thicker)

-Physicians Formula gel liner for green eyes, the green color, right above the black liner

-Maybelline Unstoppable eyeliner in Jade smudged along lower lash line

-L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara in Black

Face:

-ELF Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige

-NYC Translucent Mosaic powder

-ELF Studio Contouring Bronzer on my temples/hollows of my cheeks/sides of nose

-Covergirl Trublend minerals blush in Pure Romance on the apples of my cheeks

Lips:

-EOS lip balm in Lemon Drop (Smells SO good!)

-Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in Spotlight Beige

Wow, I feel like I used so many products for this one.  

Last one just for fun.  :)

Thanks for reading, everyone.  Hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

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Physicians Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiners for Green Eyes

Phew, is that a long name or what?  It's actually Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel CreamLiners.  I have been wanting these for the longest time.  I don't think I've mentioned it much here, but my friends and family know I've been on the hunt for them!  I had hear endless rants and raves about these- mostly that they stay on for hours.  They used to only be sold at CVS, and since I don't have a CVS near by, I was out of luck.
However!  They are popping up everywhere around me, and today I finally found them at Target.  I had to get them when I saw them there, because unlike other drugstores like Walgreens and Kmart, Target doesn't jack up their prices.  I purchased these today for $8.99.

I've been obsessed with the one for green eyes (Coincidentally I have green eyes, haha) since first seeing swatches online.

You get three mini gel/cream eyeliners in three shades for different looks.  The green is for "natural" looks, the black is for "dramatic" looks, and the purple is for "playful" looks.  The purple and green are so pretty!  The black I don't particularly care about, only because I already have one (Wet 'n' Wild).  

This is the brush it comes with:

(I held it up with my finger just for size reference)

I've read reviews saying this brush is useless, but as someone who doesn't wear gel/cream eyeliners daily, I have to disagree.  It's small, thin, and does the job.  It's probably not as good as some eyeliner brushes, but it works just fine for me.

I haven't had a chance to wear these all day since I just purchased them this evening, but I don't think I need to.  They seriously don't budge, however they came off easily with my Pond's Cold Cream that I use as eye makeup remover.  

At $8.99 for three eyeliners, I totally think you're getting a deal here.  These haven't disappointed me in the least.  I'm excited to wear them in a look tomorrow!  

Do you own these?  How do you like them?  I want to check out the other colors now.  :)

Thanks for reading, and happy weekend!

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EOTD: Green, Pink, and Purple Pop!

This is a look I did today using Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips eyeshadow for Green Eyes Pop! collection.  I feel like I never post any "bright" looks on here, so that was my inspiration to do this.  Unfortunately I took these in my bathroom, so the colors aren't quite as bright as they are in person.  I think you can still get the main idea though.

I used these colors from the PF palette:

Everything I used:

-Almay Bright Eyes eye base

-PF Shimmer Strips eyeshadow palette

-E.L.F. Waterproof eyeliner pen in Coffee

-L'Oreal Bare Naturale mascara in Black

1) I applied the light green on the inner half of my lid.

2) I applied the pink on the outer half of my lid, and blended it into the green.

3) I blended the deep violet into my outer crease.

4) I highlighted my brow bone and inner corners using the white.

5) I did a line of eyeliner along my upper lash line, getting thicker towards the outside corner.  Then I lined just the outer corner of my lower lash line.

6) I finished it with two coats of mascara on upper lashes, and one on bottom. 

While I'm on the topic of mascaras (Kind of?), what are your thoughts on L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black?  I'm thinking that will be my next mascara I buy, based on the pretty good reviews.  Oh, and although I've read so-so things about Covergirl LashBlast Fusion, I still want to try it.  I heard it gives decent length, which LashBlast Volume really lacks for me.

Happy weekend, everyone!

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Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Pop! Collection

Let me say something before getting too far into this post- I've liked just about everything I've tried from Physician's Formula.  I haven't owned very many of their products because they're pretty pricey for a drugstore brand, but PF and I go way back.  When I first started wearing makeup, I used the Matte collection quad eyeshadows.  They were so perfect for an 8th grader who didn't know what she was doing!  I also played around with the Shimmer Strips Bronzers (Although now I loathe a bronzer too shimmery; I don't know how I wore that on a regular basis).  That was all back when my mom bought me the occasional makeup product, and in recent years I haven't wanted to dish out $10-12 on a bronzer/eyeshadow/powder.  Unless I know it's really good.

Anyway, lucky for me I've been able to buy more PF lately.  My Target frequently puts manufacturer's coupons for either $3.00 or $5.00 off on random products (I mentioned this in my post on the Healthy Wear tinted moisturizer, where there was a $5.00 sticker), so this brings the price down to a more manageable amount for me.  I have to look pretty hard, and they aren't ALWAYS on PF products, but sometimes I get lucky.

Today I found a $5.00 off sticker stuck to a Healthy Wear pressed powder, and I thought to myself, "I'm sure I can just peel this off and stick it to something I really want."  I've seen the cashiers accidently stick them to the wrong product before, so I figured they wouldn't check.  The sticker also didn't specify what kind of product it was for OR a minimum dollar amount.

So I chose something I've been curious about for a long time, the Shimmer Strips eyeshadow Pop! collection for green eyes:

I don't really have many of these colors in my eyeshadow collection, and the packaging is really cute, too.  Although the application/sponge thing is useless (WHY is the tip slanted?  I tried to use it just for kicks and it makes it even harder to apply).

See?  So pretty!  Let's take a look at the pigmentation.

Hm.  Not so impressive, but I'm betting with a good primer underneath these would look a lot better.  And even though they aren't super soft, they rub off pretty nicely on my fingertip.  I do wish the palette had separators between each color.  Hey, I can't really complain seeing as I got this for just under $5.

Have any of you tried these eyeshadows?  I wasn't sure whether to get this one or the regular Shimmer Strips enhancing eyeshadow palette, which has softer colors in it.  I think I'm glad I stuck with this one, though.

Edit, later:

The pigmentation isn't so BAM on my arm sans primer, but I tried these out on my eyes tonight, and the colors are pretty vibrant!  I've never worn blues and greens like that before.  I do wish the color payoff was better, and for this reason, I can't say the palette is changing my life or anything.  It is nice for a brighter makeup look when I have occasion to wear it.  :)

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Physician's Formula Tinted Moisturizer

Good afternoon everyone!  I've had a lovely day.  It started out with getting my teeth cleaned (Eh), but I was very happy to hear there's nothing wrong with them.  I used to have an extreme phobia of the dentist- I think because of the scary dentist I had when I was growing up- which I've finally gotten over for the most part.  Now, I just worry they will find something wrong with my teeth.  My parents didn't give me fabulous teeth genes, so although they're in good health at the moment, I have to do a lot to keep them that way!

Anyway, after work I stopped by Target to browse for manufacturer coupons on foundations.  :)  Target often times has stickers stuck to makeup products that say like, "Take $3.00 off" or something.  Usually they're not on products I'm interested, but this time they were!  Physician's Formula usually has those, too, and today I was in GREAT luck.
On the Healthy Wear SPF 50 Tinted Moisturizer, the bottles had stickers for $3.00 off.  Then I looked behind the bottles in front, and there was one hiding that had a sticker for $5.00 off!  So I picked up that bottle and only paid $7.99 for the TM, before tax (They retail at Target for $12.99).

I didn't get a picture that showed it, but this is SPF 50.  Awesome!

I was really hesitant about buying this, because from the packaging you can't tell the color.  The only real idea you get is from the sticker on the bottle (Where it says "fair to light").  In my opinion, the actual color of the TM is darker than how the sticker shows it, so it's not even very accurate.  I was prepared to save my receipt and return to Target in case the color was way off.

Luckily for me, it's pretty darn close to my skin.  On my hand it looks only a little darker, but I tried it on my face and it's just fine (Especially in the summer, when I don't mind a slightly darker foundation anyway).

I'll update this when I've given it a full review, but from the looks of it so far, it provides nice coverage for a tinted moisturizer.  It's much thicker than my $1 ELF tinted moisturizer, yet still feels light.

One last thing about the color before I wrap this up- the one I have leans more pink than yellow.  You can't really tell from my pictures, unfortunately.  Just something to keep in mind if you have more yellow undertones.

I do have one question, for anyone who'd like to answer- What is the best thing to wear over tinted moisturizer? Would you recommend a translucent powder?  I've noticed with tinted moisturizers they can look shiny, so I don't know if translucent powder would be the best option for this?  I'm so new to face makeup LOL, sorry.  Thanks again for all your help!

Oh, and I got my ELF package today!  Expect photos/first impressions tomorrow, as it's my day off.  I have nothing planned besides playing around with all my stuff, hehe.

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