Conceal don't feel...like you look like death.

Conceal don't feel #faveconcealers #pixi #itcosmetics #benefit #maybelline #makeupmonday

A photo posted by Tyler Archer (@tyleralyse) on Oct 10, 2014 at 4:58am PDT

I have deep dark under eye circles. I've been a fully functioning insomniac since moving to College Station in 2012.  I average about 4 hours of sleep a night. I feel really great after 5 and when I hit 7 woh buddy watch out.  So concealer has been my friend for a while now.  Also as I've gotten older my under eye skin has gotten drier- I know shocking after my last post.  But it's true. The skin under your eye is like no other skin on the rest of your body, it's thinner, more sensitive and more delicate and in my world drier too.  So in the last year these have been my new go to concealers that I've used and abused and I love them each for individual reasons.

Prior to my makeup obsession I used really cheap basic concealers that were drying and in stick form.  They weren't bad concealers but they weren't made for your under eye and the certainly weren't hydrating.  Let me clarify in case it wasn't obvious but this post is about concealing bags, under eye bags, bags as deep and dark as your soul.  So while dry stick concealers are great for hiding blemishes they're no bueno for under the eye.

So last February during my makeup awakening the first concealer I decided to try was the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in Light. Well that was too light.  It covered great but made my under eyes look like I'd used white stage makeup or like I was one of those tragic concealing accidents where people use way too much highlighter under their eyes.  It was not a good look for me.  So I abandoned the Instant Age Rewind in Light and moved on to something else.

Try #2 Benefit Boi-ing duo thing.  It's Silver Dollar sized compact that's half concealer and half brightener.  The concealer is in #02 and it's the perfect shade! Oh my gosh this matches my skin beautifully and perfectly and man does it conceal and not budge...but...there is no hydration, it's drying like no other, within 5 minutes my under eyes look dry and cracky and it's just sad.  But this one had awesome potential so I keep it around and every once in a while layer it over another product.

So since I had so much success with the color at least for Benefit I decided to stay in the Benefit family and try Fake-Up.  This product is very interesting.  It's a stick concealer but it's wrapped in a hydrating gel thing, so the outside is clear and the inside is concealer.  It feels amazing going on the skin, you can feel the hydration. And the concealer is great but I think the hydration part dilutes the color a little bit so it's not as full coverage as I'd like. However this concealer paired up with the Boi-ing is great. I get some hydration and excellent coverage and it's fabulous.  This concealer on it's own is also something I use on the weekends when I want to be extra nice to my under eyes, have a little coverage but not go over board.

So by this point it's late March or early April and I was still hearing so many great things about the Maybelline Age Rewind, I did have the wrong shade and so I thought I'd give it a try again just in case I really was missing out.  So I got the Medium shade and it was a pretty good match.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Age Rewind Dark Circle Corrector Concealer but it's just not my favorite. I like the little spongy applicator, I like that it feels super light.  I just don't think it's as hydrating as people say it is.  I'll use it around my nose sometimes if I'm really red, or use it to hide a blemish if I'm so inclined.  And I've used quit a bit of this concealer now, but I usually use it with something else if I'm going to put it under my eyes.  I either use it on top of my Fake-Up or on top of the next product I've going to talk about.

I was pretty satisfied most of last Spring and early Summer just using a combination of the above products and with good results. In the summer and spring it's a little more humid here so the dryness started to subside a little and I had started wearing a little more face makeup anyways so that helped and I was pretty okay with my concealer choices, but still wanted to find that product that would change everything and make life better/easier.  So my beauty bloggers/vloggers were my guides and I decided I'd try something in a pot this time instead of a stick or roll up or whatever.  Pixi Correction Concentrate was the recommendation.  Pixi is a brand you can buy at Target and it's higher quality that drugstore products but less expensive than Sephora or the high end products at Ulta.  So for around $12 I got this little pot of peach creamy concealer.  This stuff is awesome.  Very hydrating and it's peach so it's supposed to be color correcting.  You don't rub this stuff on but dab it and focus mostly on where your blue tinted skin is.  This stuff is great I really enjoy it, but rarely on it's own.  I usually have to top it with my Age Rewind or Boi-ing if I want to actually conceal, not just color correct.  This is really a great product to use on the weekends as well when I want something hydrating but still look pretty natural.  Some days I can use just this and it's fine, but somedays it needs something on top.

So this brings me to my last product.  My last favorite concealer that I got this past fall as an impulse purchase or last ditch effort to find the perfect concealer.  It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Anti-Aging Concealer one has a ridiculously long name but two was the concealer I've been waiting for. I love this stuff.  This is pretty much my every workday concealer.  This stuff can hide some bags like nobody's business while still being incredibly hydrating.  This stuff is so hydrating it has to be set with a light powder before I'm done! I love it.  It lasts all day and is just fabulous.  I have the shade Neutral Medium which the lady at Ulta told me worked for most people.  I love this stuff. It needs to be applied with your fingers because it's kinda thick and the warmth of your hand helps melt it a little, but also you need the smallest amount, a little can go a long way.  So this is it! My favorite concealer of the bunch, the most expensive and probably the one that will last the longest.

So quick recap and my favorite uses for each-

1. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind- good topper for more hydrating concealer, but not hydrating enough- can be used on more than just under eyes
2. Benefit Fake Up- LOVE! Great weekend concealer when I don't want to be too fussy but not enough coverage on it's own
3. Pixi Correction Concentrate- Fabulous for color correcting, hydrating, can be used on it's own but usually needs a topper
4. Bye Bye Under Eye- Fabulous! My fave.  Great under eye concealer, must be set with a powder, not really good anywhere else on face. 

That's it! These are most frequently used concealers.  Unless I find something better I doubt I'll stray from my Bye Bye Under Eye concealer, I probably wont repurchase the Age Rewind but the other two Fake Up and Pixi I can see myself buying again. 

My Thanksgiving 2014 Travel Beauty Bag(s)

I worked really hard not to overpack this year. I didn't overpack my clothes- I may have under-packed tops forgetting that newborns spit up every time I hold them. And I tried...not to overpack my makeup.  So really it's my beauty/bathroom travel bags that I'm talking about here- there are 3. 2 for makeup and one for shower, face and any extra toiletries I may need.

My big Polka Dot Bag has served me well, I've been using it for a good 5 years and it's always been my go to toiletries bag when traveling.  In it I have makeup wipes the Target Up and Up Cucumber Exfoliating ones are my favorite, Neutrogena Night Cream, Vaseline Intensive Moisture Lotion, Secret deodorant, a wide tooth comb, Dr. Bronners in Almond and Tea Tree Oil scents, NYX Dewy Setting Spray, Q-tips, bobby pins, a few packets of nail polish remover liberated from some hotel, a sample packet of moisturizing face serum by a brand no one has heard of (they're not very good), Redken Curl Sugar Gel, Olay Refresh Facial Cleanser Sample (don't like it either), and a white washcloth I use for wiping my brushes off after each use (cuts down on oil/product buildup).   A lot of the standards I keep at my sisters house or steal hers. I have a toothbrush and toothpaste, some random hair products, and a razor I leave there.  If I need anything else they can usually provide it, like last time I came home and forgot deodorant, I stole a travel size of my brother-in-law's Old Spice Tropical stuff- I smelled like a boy all week- no one seemed to mind.

This ELF pink bag is a newer addition to my travel routine. I needed something better to carry my brushes in and liners and weird things I didn't want mingling with my palettes or other makeup things.  So the basic rule here was that it was long, tube like, a brush or a makeup tool it went in here.  This pouch has two sides, one with spaces specifically designed for brushes and a mesh pocket perfectly shaped for my eye brushes.  Then it had a big dumpable pocket that I stuck my pencil liners, Age Rewind Concealer, eyebrow wax pencil, eyelash curlers, big kabuki brush, eyeshadow primer, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something else.  But this bag fits inside the next bag event with everything else in it- and of course it's pink so I like it. 

Then my big train case makeup bag, also from ELF. They didn't have it in pink when I ordered it- sad.  But this bag I hold all my bigger products or things I'm not too concerned about getting mixed up together. So my eye palettes, BB Cream, Blush, eyebrow powders, 3 single eyeshadows, two under eye concealers and a lipstick.  This is where I cut down the most on my packing, I really wanted to add two more palettes into this bunch, but I didn't.  Then my pink bag fits on top and I just have this black bag and the polka dot bag to keep track of in my luggage.

So here's a breakdown of some of the contents of my bag.  Here is all the eye stuff I brought.  So I have 3 eyeshadow palettes (including my Tarte rainforest disc that has some face products in it as well). All the palettes are Tarte, I love the quality and texture of the shadows.  They're beautifully pigmented and last all day- even when running after a toddler nephew and dealing with new niece spit up. The two 8 pan palettes are from the Tarte Sweet Indulgences kit I splurged on from QVC. I have two L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows in my cream color and bronze- great for an easy everyday look, or great additions to the palettes I brought.  I also brought a pale iridescent pink Maybelline Color Tattoo.  My Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer- this is a sample size I thought was perfect for travel and it has been.  Two eyeliners in bronze and brown.  My Tarte Lights Camera Lashes mascara.  My eyebrow stuff form NYX- both cake powders and wax.  Then eyelash curlers.

And here are all the face products minor those I used in my Tarte Rainforest Palette.  So we have my usual BB Cream, Tarte Blush, Pixi Color Corrector, Benefit duo concealer, Maybelline Age Rewind, Benefit Porefessional Primer, Temptu highlighter, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer and my NYX Setting Spray.  This is really the bare minimum face stuff I need.  I always use my BB Cream and reach for one or two or all three of the concealers I brought depending on sleep.

So I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my packing job this trip.  I've used everything I brought except 3 items.  The Tatu liquid highlighter is gorgeous, but I just haven't felt the need to get "that" done up this holiday. I love it but it's kinda for a more glitzy look.  I also haven't used my Maybelline Color Tattoo, this item is the exact opposite, it's for a more casual look and I just haven't been in the mood.  Then the last thing is the Benefit Porefessional, and part of the reason I haven't used it is because I'm not quite sure how to integrate it into my routine in the first place. I use a BB Cream so I can't wear it under it, but if I put it on over it I sometimes look like I'm wearing way more face makeup than I actually am.  So out of everything I brought I feel pretty good that only three things didn't get use. 

The best thing I brought or the most useful would have to by my Rainforest After Dark Tarte palette because it's so multi-useful.  I can use it for eyes and face.  It has the bronzer I've been using all weekend as well as the highlighter, I haven't used the blush but that's okay cause everything else in the palette got action. 

So when I come home for Christmas pretty much the same things will be coming home, only I'll probably throw in my Too Face Chocolate Bar Palette for a few more color options, another lipstick option and a setting powder. I didn't need a setting powder too badly but I still feel better with one in my kit. 

Tomorrow I have to pack it all back up and take it back to College Station, but it'll all return again in 3 weeks for a little longer visit. 

What if all my makeup was stolen?!?!

First off I would cry. If someone stole all my makeup I would most definitely cry and then I'd have to prioritize what I'd repurchase and how much it costs. Maybe I should call State Farm and see how much $ they'd give me to repurchase my makeup... I should really insure it.

What kind of monster would steal my makeup thought?!? And oh my gosh they stole my brushes too?!  To make this experiment/challenge a little more interesting I've broken it up in 3 price ranges. If I had $100 to restock, $50 or $25.  And it's completely doable in all price ranges, but obviously some are a little more generous than others.  So let's start at the bare minimum with $25.

So this post came after watching all my favorite YouTuber's version of the stolen makeup, lost all the makeup or desert island makeup tag videos. Most of them didn't put a price cap on it but I needed a little more structure so I wouldn't go overboard.  SPOILER ALERT I have too much makeup.

$25 Restocking Challenge:
Wet N Wild Color Icon 5 Pan Palette in Naked Truth- $3.99 (usually on sale at Walgreens)
ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia- $3.00 (Target or Online)**
3 ELF Essential Brushes @ $1 each- $3.00 total (Eye shadow brush, blending eye brush and contouring brush)
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Brunette - $5.99 (from Ulta)***
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black- $5.99 (Walgreens, Ulta, Target)
ELF Studio Concealer in Beige- $3 (Online or Target)
TOTAL- $24.97 (without Tax)

Some things I'm missing/making due without. Eyeliner- the darkest brown in the eyeshadow palette can double as eyeliner. No BB cream or allover face coverage which I didn't use until 8 months ago anyways so that's fine. I probably could have gotten a better concealer if I'd been willing to give up the eyebrow powders, but I like my eyebrow powders. Another thing missing is an eye shadow primer but I could use my elf concealer stick to act as a base and hopefully amp up the color on the eyeshadows with that.  But when looking at all these products I could get a very decent face full of makeup that I'd be very happy with.  I have most of these products already or have used them in the past so I know how they work and know that in a pinch $25 could get me through.

$50 Restocking Challenge:
Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Light Medium- $9.34 (if you can find it at a drugstore or Amazon)**
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Medium- $8.99 (Ulta or drugstores)
2 ELF Studio Brushes @ $3 each - $6 total (Studio Blush Brush and Studio Crease Brush)
2 ELF Essential Brushes @ $1 each- $2 total (Eye shadow brush and blending eye brush)
NYX Love in Florence Eye Shadow Palette- $3.99 (Ulta or Target)
NYC Bronzer in Sunny- $2.99 (Drugstores or online)
Wet N Wild Blush in Mellow Wine- $2.99 (Drugstores)
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Brunette - $5.99 (from Ulta)***
Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Blackest Black- $7.49**
TOTAL- $49.78 (without Tax)

That was harder! I wanted to definitely up my face game in this round since I had a little more money, but face products are expensive! Also I can't always find the BB Cream I like so that price could potentially go up or down if I go with another brand. I also wanted better concealer, stick concealers are usually very drying and while the ELF one from the $25 challenge is one I've used for years, I dislike using it on my under eyes. I still didn't get an eye primer in this round, but I got higher quality eyeshadows (even if not higher quality price) so hopefully that'll make up for it and again no eyeliner.  I got some of the same products in this round and the first- ELF makes excellent brushes and I'm perfectly happy with my NYX Eyebrow Cake Powders.  Again a lot of these products I already have and this makeup would make a face very similar to what I wear daily, minus eyeliner and highlighter.  But in all honesty there's probably wouldn't be that much of a different look-wise between this and the first round.

So on to the grand finale...

$100 Restocking Challenge
Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Light Medium- $9.34 (if you can find it at a drugstore or Amazon)**
Pixi Correction Concentrate Brightening Peach- $12.19 (from Target)
Real Techniques 5 piece brush starter kit- $17.99
ELF Studio Brush- $3 (Studio Blush Brush)**
ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia- $3.00 (Target or Online)**

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette- $36 (Ulta)

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Brunette - $5.99 (from Ulta)***
Milani Liquid Eye Liner in Brown- $6.99 (Walgreens)
Wet N Wild Fergie Eye Primer- $3.59 (Walgreens or Target)
Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in Blackest Black- $7.49**
TOTAL- $99.59 (without Tax)

This is a wonderful and complete makeup look. I have every one of these items in my makeup stash and use them frequently. I've hit pan on my Natural Eyes Palette and Cake Powders so these are very loved items. I've gone through an entire BB Cream and 2 Liquid Eye Liners.  There are lots of duplicate items in this challenge and the $50.  The thing I spend the most on is eye shadow because shadows are my favorite part of any of my makeup looks. No matter how much money I get to spend I'll still get some ELF brushes because they are excellent. So overall this would be my favorite look mostly because of the eye shadows and I finally got eyeliner.

Okay so what did I learn? I spend way too much money on makeup, but we already knew that. And honestly all these things were purchased very far apart, not all at once. Given the choice I'd still buy a lot of the same products no matter what.  I think at any price you can find great makeup that works for you.  Also there are some things from the lower price challenges that I miss in this one, I love my ELF eye brushes, but the 5 piece Real Techniques brush set has been a part of my life for several years and given the opportunity to purchase it again I will.

Some things you'll notice missing. Setting powder all the under eye concealers I picked have a pretty satin finish after blending and don't really need setting, if I'd gotten a creamier concealer I would have needed it, but these are good.  Also missing is highlighter. I really only got into highlighter in the last 6 months or so and again in a pinch like concealers in lieu of primer I could use a sparkly eyeshadow as a highlighter.  Lipstick, lipgloss or something for the lips is probably the most glaring thing that's missing to some people, but I don't like wearing lipstick. I'm trying to, and in the last 3 months I've purchased a lot of lipstick, but it's more important to me to have my brows done than my lips.

In all these challenges I really only selected one high end makeup item and that's my Too Faced Natural Palette, I think the drugstore has wonderful makeup.  Yes I have some blushes that are high end, yes I have some mascaras and concealers that cost over $20 each but I honestly don't reach for them everyday, but everyday I do use a high end eyeshadow palette.

So I know it wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost all my makeup, and it honestly would be lots cheaper than the total value of my current collection to reach a base line that I'd be happy with.  I think these challenges are kinda fun, but also kinda scary when you actually have to look at the prices and what you're getting for them.  I'm still going to keep my fingers crossed that I never lose all my makeup.

My go to fall makeup.

Once upon a time I only had one go to makeup. The makeup I wore everyday, didn't edit and change with my outfits, or the season or the weather. I wore the same eye shadows, blush and concealer everyday.  Now all those things change...pretty much daily.  But this fall I've been using the same color range over and over.  I like a bronzey gold eye with a dusty rose cheek.  Unfortunately I have too many options for products to achieve this.  And require about 6 individual eye brushes to achieve just the eye shadow look.  But it's always fun, always new and always makes me be creative first thing in the morning.

Here's the process-

1. Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream in Light to Medium.  It's the perfect base it offers beautiful coverage without being drying or looking like heavy makeup.
2. Under Eye Concealer- either my Pixi Color Corrector or my IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye.  Both are super hydrating but the IT Cosmetics is a little light and I usually have to set it, so I only use that when the bags are really unruly. 
3. Fergie Wet 'n Wild Eyeshadow Prime. I love this stuff! It's cheap and it works great.  It's very tacky though so I need to let it dry for at least 2-3 minutes before I pack on the eyeshadow.  
4. NYX Eyebrow Powder and Wax Pencil. While waiting for my primer to set I use the wax eyebrow pencil to place my brows, then I use the powder to fill in the gaps.  The wax helps the powder stay in place and the brows. To apply my brow powder I use my Real Techniques Small Detail brush. 
5. Oh the eyeshadow process so many steps
1. Cream color all over the lid up to the brow- I use either L'Oreal Infallible in Endless Pearl or  White Chocolate from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette- I use a flat Real Techniques brush for this 
2. Next I use a matte warm pale brown to warm up the crease like Salted Caramel from the Chocolate Bar Palette- I use a Maybelline brush I've had for years that doesn't have a name 
3. Then I layer a darker brown in the crease too but pull it down a little in my Chocolate Bar Palette I'll use Milk Chocolate and Semi-Sweet to build up different shades with the medium shade in the middle and the darker towards the outer v all while staying in the crease- I've been recently using the Up and Up eyes brush duo for this step
4. Next I decide if I want to just go smokey brown or burgundy and pick a satin finished brown or burgundy for the outer third of the lid and the lower part of the crease- I use the other Up and Up brush or a real techniques blending brush
5. Then I use a shimmery gold for the inner 3rd of the eye like Creme Brulee- I use a classic Sephora pencil brush 
6. Next I use eyeliner. Depending on how I feel I'll tightline with a brown khol pencil and then use brown gel liner from NYX for the top lash line, if lining the bottom lash line I'll use just a medium brown shadow with a smudger brush 
7. Next I move on to bronzer and use either my Tarte After Dark bronzer or NYC Bronzer in Sunny with a Real Techniques precision face brush
8. Then Blush from either Tarte After Dark or NYX Dusty Rose with an ELF small tappered brush
9. Then I highlight with my Tarte After Dark highlighter with an ELF small tappered brush as well
10. Next I add mascara. I've been loving my Urban Decay Subversion primer and Perversion mascara. I do mascara after bronzing and highlighting in case a get a little crazy and hit my lashes.
11. Then I finish up with lips, depending on how I feel I'll either just throw on a chapstick and call it a day or I love love love my Revlon Matte Balms or Kate Moss Rimmel pink nudes. They have good lasting power and don't stray too much.

Once everything is done I let it sit for a few minutes before topping it off with a setting spray. I have the NYX Dewey Setting spray or a homemade one from water and glycerin. I don't feel like either makes my makeup last any longer but it gets rid of any powdery look and add a touch of hydration on top.  And then I'm out the door. 

Five Fall Friday Favorites!

I love makeup. Did I say that already? I love lots of makeup and own more makeup now than ever before.  It's hard to pick my favorites, but there some products that I just reach for more than the others.  This fall it's my bronzey, brownie, mauvey and burgundy eye makeup and nude-ish pink brown lips. But on Friday's I try to keep it simple with just some basics.

1. My Fresh Effects Oil of Olay BB cream in Light - Medium. So many people on the internet hate this product because it's too light in coverage and color. I love it because it's light. I've never really been one to wear foundation but always struggle to find a moisturizer that wears well with my blush. This BB cream evens out my skin tone and wears blush, bronzer and highlighter beautifully over it. Also it doesn't oxidize on me like other BB creams and Tinted Moisturizers have in the past.  I wear this daily.  Also it has SPF in it and is made by Olay who also makes my favorite moisturizer.
2. I rotate concealers a lot, because some days I need a little extra oomph and some days I don't feel like messing with it. On a bad day I'll wear 3 different concealers but on Friday I just wear my Pixi Correction Concentrate. This is an amazing peachy salmon color concealer that I heard about on EmilyNoel83's YouTube Channel. I have super dry under-eyes and serious dark circles and this stuff is creamy and doesn't settle in my 29 year old fine lines. It's hydrating without needing a setting powder and I loves it. 
3. On any given day I use between 6-7 different products on my eye lids alone. First there's primer, then a base, then a cream matte shadow, a crease color, an outer v color, a shimmer shade on my inner corners and then an eyeliner.  All of these products/colors require a separate brush for application- and this is before my mascara and eyebrows! So on Friday I keep it simple usually with just a Maybelline color tattoo all over the lid, a brow highlight and then tight-lining. Sometimes I'll switch out the color tattoo for a L'oreal Infallible shadow if I want more shimmer. Either base I use in their respective bronze shades- Bad to the Bronze in my color tattoo or Bronzed Taupe in my Infallible.
4. 3 months ago I got my first Ipsy bag subscription and inside it was a mascara that would change my eyelash game forever...or at least till now. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. OMG it's amazing. Three coats of this stuff and I stopped wearing false eyelashes for the stage! After working my way through my sample I purchased the full size as well as the Subversion primer.  WARNING: if you use both the Subversion Primer and Perversion Mascara at the same time, strangers in your building will stop you and ask you about it. Not for the feint of makeup heart. I don't need that much eye attention on a day to day, but on Friday when I'm not wearing 7 layers of eyeshadow, I'll bulk up my mascara for fun and wear both.
5. My last favorite is a cheat. It's my Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette that has eyeshadow, bronzer, blush and highlight.  But what I use the most out of it are the three face products. The bronzer and highlighter are terribly special but I use them frequently.  However my favorite thing in this palette is the blush.  The prettiest everyday flush color it's perfect for fall and daily use.  But on Friday's I can use it without all the other fuss and feel completely done up with ease. 

There are a few other makeup items that are new favorites so I wont mention them here, this is almost my full face look, but just a little more minimized. The rest of the week I usually wear lipstick and play around with my contouring and highlighting more, but on a Friday I like to take it easy.  Now this routine in itself is way more than I was doing 8 months ago, but way less than I was doing during those 6 months I was blonde. So I like to think this is a pretty reasonable medium.