Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet +

Hello everybody! So Im finally back from vacation and out of lazy mode haha. I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to jump back into the groove of my routine ugh. But today I have a post on a holy grail foundation that helped me looked matte and fresh while on vacation. Its Make Up ForEver Mat Velvet +, this product is genius and I never really understood how much I loved it until now.

Make Up ForEver Mat Velvet + is a full, matte coverage that comes in a huge range of colors. It has a velvet texture, and is easy to blend. A little goes a long way, and you want to be careful with application, because it can come off as cake and heavy. I really enjoy the texture of this foundation, simply because it makes my skin feel so soft and put together. Since its heavier coverage I don't need concealer to cover the black spots on the side of my face, which is what I love most about full coverage foundations, its a one stop shop.

The wear time was amazing, which I was surprised because theres no "long lasting" claim to the product. Even though it goes on matte, after awhile shine does begin to break through. It wasn't a deal breaker, simply because I was in Vegas and walking around all day I expected for some shine to come into play. But even with the shine, my face still looked really fresh and elegant. I just felt pretty with this on!

I love this foundation and I think its a must have.!

XOXO,
Brandee

Vacation

Hello everyone! Just wanted to post really quickly that I am currently on vacation and will be back next Monday! I miss blogging and can't wait to get back to it soon. Hope everyone is doing well, and is enjoying the warm weather!

XOXO,
Brandee

Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub Review

Now I love a good scrub, and after much success with some product by Ole Henriksen I figured I'd give the Ole Henriksen Walnut Commplexion Scrub a try. It promise to clean out pores, and brighten the skin. So did this make it into my holy grail skincare products?! Lets find out.

Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub is a thick, dirty brown, scrub with a sweet walnut smell. It is seriously thick, and doesn't require much to apply to the face. After wetting my face, I applied a a nice amount to my face. The product applied really nicely and scrub has soft beads, so its not harsh or rough on the skin. The smell did intensify as you continued to scrub, but nothing to over the top. After washing it off my face, my skin felt really fresh and soft. It didn't give a brighter complexion after the 1st use, but my pores were nicely cleaned out. After using this a few more times, I can certainly say that my skin never brighten and texture of my skin never changed.

The deal breaker…it broke me out horribly! My entire chin and skin of my cheek just went into outbreak mode, and it was really hard to clear up. My skin got really dried and rough, it was just weird. I knew it was this product because this was the only thing that had changed in my skincare routine and every time I used it, the breakouts just got worst! This really sucks because its a really nice scrub, that cleans the skin, but I can handle breakout! Thats a NO NO!

Sadly to say this is not going in my holy grail products, and Im disappointed that I found a product by Ole Henriksen that didn't react to my skin well. But if you looking for a nice, sweet, pore cleanser scrub this is really good. Just didn't work for my skin.

XOXO,
Brandee

Sephora Intensive Instant Moisturizer Review

Im always looking for a good moisturizer that won't make my face greasy and to hydrated, so after talking with a sales associate at Sephora she recommended to me the new Sephora Intensive Instant moisturizer. I was hesitate at first because the words intensive, just made me think "overkill greasy", but I figure why not give it a go, whats the worst that could happen?!

I am in LOVE with this moisturizer. It is a lightweight cream that smells very, soft with a slight hint of fruity smell to it. You don't need a lot because the product spreads very nicely across the skin. It dries down to a nice demi matte finish, but after about 5 minutes you can start to feel the moisturize coming to the surface without the greasy effect. The moisturizer made my face feel so soft and very healthy looking. It didn't make my face shiny during the face and my foundation was able to glide over nicely.

Overall I love this moisturizer, even though it says intensive, it doesn't give an overkill of moisturizer that is unbearable. But its just a nice, soft everyday moisturizer that will be perfect all year around, without the greasy look, which no person is after.

XOXO,
Brandee

Essence I Love EXTREME Crazy Volume mascara Review

 Today I have to share with you is the new Essence I Love EXTREME Crazy Volume mascara in the color black. Now I tried essence nail polishes, but this is a first for mascara. To be honest I didn't even know Essence made mascaras! So does it actually give EXTREME crazy volume? Lets find out!

This is a simple wand with short bristles covered in a thick black coating. The formula is wet and thick which gave me clumps and smudges. There was so much product on the brush, that I had to wipe off almost all of it, for the right amount. It does make my lashes dark, and give some good volume. Is it extreme? No. Ive attempted to let this mascara dry out, but the overkill of product on the brush is still out of control.  I did notice after awhile there where little black flakes under my eyes…not cool!

Sadly, I don't love this mascara. If you are into a lot of product on the brush and wet formula, this may be for you. It just gave me clumps and not enough volume for me to ever repurchase again.

XOXO,
Brandee

Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser Review

 I am a lover of skincare products so while standing in the check out line at Sephora this caught my eye. It's Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming cleanser, I have never heard of Ole Henriksen, but I've been on the market for a light cleanser to use in the morning. This product is pretty much flawless to me..lets check it out.

African Red Tea is a very foaming cleanser with a sweet, floral tea smell. It spreads really nice and the pump dispense a nice amount. 2 pumps covers my whole face and neck. Its very gentle and smooth, that it almost feels like it isn't working at all, its just that soft. Once washing it off, you can feel out squeaky clean and refresh the skin feels. My skin felt like a baby bottom! It didn't feel stripped or over cleansed, its just perfect!

This cleanser is everything to me. I've never used a foaming cleanser and I must say I like the formula. Ole Henriksen is becoming one of my favorite skincare brands and this product is certainly on the top of the list!

XOXO,
Brandee

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush: Mood Exposure

Hello everyone! I can't believe its already MARCH! I swear every year goes by faster and faster. Today I just have a quick post on a recent purchase of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. I haven't had a chance to test it out, but I was so excited about the fact that my Sephora finally got them in stock, I couldn't resist taking pictures and posting them.

This is a mauve shade which is so beautiful that I don't even want to use it! Hourglass has said that these blushes are suppose to be glowing and give you the light from within. I will do a update once I have played around in it. Do you guys own any of these Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes?

XOXO,
Brandee

Nicole by OPI Oil To Go

I love nails! so keeping my cuticles nice and healthy is a must! Recently I brought the NEW Nicole by OPI Oil to Go, it stays in my bag to carry around throughout the day. This is a clear cuticle gel that can be used anytime of the day to keep cuticles healthy. This oil is really good for me after I wash my hands, because I don't always want to pull out my Lush Lemon cuticle cream. It does have a strawberry smell, that can be a little overwhelming at time. I'm not sure if its just mines, but the gel can clump up and it can be hard to squeeze out, which is slightly annoying at times.

I enjoy this cuticle pen a lot! I think my cuticles look better than when I didn't have it. Its just a great way to keep your cuticles fresh and healthy without needing to take around the jar of cuticle creams. My cuticles are soft and moisture, so I'm ashamed throughout the day. This is a must have!

XOXO,
Brandee

NYX Dark Circle Concealer Review

Dark circles I have them and I HATE them! So of course when I seen NYX Dark Circle concealer, I was over the moon. This is a orange tone concealer that is suppose to conceal dark circle that have blue coloring. I got this in the color Dark and sadly its a little to pale on my skin tone. It almost looks ashy on the areas that I apply it to: under the eyes and around my mouth. It has a sheer coverage and my dark circles can still be seen. This is could be due to the fact that its to light for me, but I'm not sure.

I don't like this concealer at all. Beside the fact its to light for me (its the darkest shade that NYX offers) I just don't think it gives the right amount of coverage for my dark circles and darker areas around my mouth. I think the idea of this product is great a orange base concealer, but due to the shade range and sheerness, I just can't put this on my favorite list.

XOXO,
Brandee

NYX Tinted Moisturizer Hydratant Review

Now let me be the 1st to say that I am in no way a fan of CC, BB, or tinted moisturizer, simply because those formulas don't give enough coverage to me likely, so I slightly skeptic about the NEW NYX tinted moisturizer. But recently I've been looking for something light that I could wear to the gym, so I figured why not. On to the review!

NYX tinted moisturizer is a lightweight, oil free, fragrance free foundation. I got the darkest shade in Almond and it matches my coloring, but its way to red on me. But for the reason of the review I wore it for a few day to test it out. Its very lightweight and barely gives coverage. Even with 2 layers it didn't even give a medium coverage. It does give a luminous finish to the skin, that doesn't appear shiny or greasy looking. Since it was so sheer, it really didn't have a long staying power. I felt like it faded away after a couple of hours.

I'm not crazy about this is tinted moisturizer on its on, but I found that its a nice addition to mix in with some other my other more heavier foundations that I wish were a little bit more moisturizing or thick. Overall I think this is a nice tinted moisturizer if you have perfect skin or don't mind spending extra time concealing. It will show your skin, and does give a fresh healthy finish. But this wasn't a tinted moisturizer that convert me to lighter formula side, but its nice if this is your kind of thing.

XOXO,
Brandee

Revlon Age Defying Wrinkle Remedy Line Filler Review

Hello everyone! Today I have the Revlon Age Defying Wrinkle Remedy Line Filler, I was intrigued by this product as soon as I seen it on display at Target. Even though I don't have "wrinkles" or "fine lines" I do have creases under my eyes that my concealer always seems to settle in. So does it work? Lets see!

This is a thick white cream that is kinda hard to spread! It squeezes out of the tube a little difficult, and sets quickly into the areas that you spread it on. Since I am darker tone, once spread it does leave a white case with a tacky feeling to it.  It did fill in the little creases under my eyes really GOOD! but it made my under eye area feel so dry throughout the day. My creases stayed filled for the majority of the day, I did notice that after hour 5 it no longer could hold up anymore and my concealer sank into the creases.

I have a love/hate relationship with this product. On one hand I think that it fills in creases (and I'm sure wrinkles and fine lines) really well, but on the other hand I hate how dry it makes my under eye area. Even with a thick under eye moisturizer I could feel the dryness and tacky feeling all day. I'm going to continue to play with it, but it really is good, but the dryness is driving me crazy?!

Have anyone of you tried this product?

XOXO,
Brandee

Sedona Lace Brush Review

Today I have a quick review for you guys about 2 of my FAVORITE all time face foundation brushes: Sedona Laces synthetic Flat Top 928 and the Sedona Lace synthetic Round Top 480. I first purchased these brushes back on Black Friday when Sedona Lace offered 50% on everything. I just recently ordered back up, just in case these fall apart on me. These 2 brushes get used everyday and Im so happy to have them in my brush collection. On to the review!

First up is the synthetic Flat Top 928 foundation brush. This is a densely packed brush, with soft bristles. This brush gives the perfect airbrush finish to any and all foundation that I have ever used this with. Because it has so many bristles, it helps more the products so swiftly and easy. I've experienced no shredding and the shape of the brush has stayed true to form. The barrel is in a great shape, and the glue hasn't started to loosen on me. I look amazing and using this! I'm so in love!

And lastly we have the Round Top 428 foundation brush. It is very similar to the flat top, but its simply rounded. It heavily packed with bristles and is super soft. I enjoy this one very much, because it has rounded edge, its really good at rolling foundation on, without rubbing product off. It buffers in products so well, the brush does all the work for you! And just like the Flat Top I've experienced no shredding and barrel is steady and strong, no glue loosening. I can't say enough good thing about this brush its a winner!

These brushes are winners! Their great buffers, so it really gets the products in the skin, to just give a flawless finish. Sedona Lace is a great place for brushes, and the prices are so reasonable! I can't believe I went so long with these brushes, and they will forever be in my brush collection.

XOXO,
Brandee

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter Review

I have several HG products and MAC Prep + Prime highlighter in Peach Lustre is one of them. It's a highlighter that can be applied to any area of the face that you want to highlight: under the eyes, cheek bones, bridge of the nose etc. I love this product so much its just perfect, its take a look!

Peach lustre is a peachy, orange color with light coverage and easy application. It comes in a twisty wand and product then dispense out of the bristles. I like the apply this under my eyes, bridge of my nose and any pigmentation that needs light covering. It doesn't contain any shimmery particles, but the effect is a high shine. Frankly I don't feel like Peach Lustre for me is a great highlighter, but more helpful to conceal the blue under the eyes and pigmentation marks. It applies so well and it is so light, that I just love IT!

There are I believe 4 other shades, but the Peach Lustre just really works best for me. I think this is a great product, and if you do use this as a highlighter is does give a nice sheen, and healthy glow to the skin. MAC has always been one of my favorite brand, and this product from them certainly is worth every penny!

XOXO,

Brandee

Milani Matte Baked Blushes: Bella Rosa and Delizioso Pink

Today I have Milani new matte baked blushes which I was so excited when I finally got my hands on these. I went to over 7 CVS and Walgreens just to find these, and I can see why they were sold out… the blushes are BEAUTIFUL! I've never tired Milani blushes baked blushes before, because they were a little too shimmery for me and I'm a matte girl when it comes to blush. Lets get on to the review!

First up we have Bella Rosa this is a vibrant hot pink color with a satin feel with a matte finish. The formula is very smooth and super pigmented. If too much is applied it can give the clown effect, so sparingly is important when using it. It glides on smooth and blends easily on the cheeks. It just give a nice healthy flush to the cheeks. LOVE THIS!

Lastly we have Delizioso Pink this is a light bright almost pale pink color. I was nervous about this one because I thought it would be to pale and bright on my darker skin tone, but its really beautiful! The formula is the same as Bella Rosa, smooth with a satin application, but matte finish. It to is very pigmented and easy to blend. And because I am of darker skin tone it can turn chalky if too much applied. But I LOVE everything about this blush!

Overall Milani hit the winner circle with these blushes! The pigmentation, application and colors are beautiful! I love everything about blushes and hope that Milani comes out with more matte baked blushes!

XOXO,
Brandee

MAC Prep + Prime CC Colour Correcting Loose Review

Hello everyone! Today I have the new MAC Prep + Prime CC Colour Correcting Loose powder in Recharge. Now when I originally seen them, I was super excited! I suffer from pigmentation with blue coloring to them and I've been told and heard that orange/red coloring can counter act it. So I figured I would give Recharge a try…so did it work? Lets see!

This CC colour correcting powder is to perfect the skin, reduce shine and help correct any discoloration on your skin. The way that I use this is I first apply a thin layer to of orange corrector to my pigmentation, after the rest of my makeup is applied, I then applied the CC colour correcting powder only to the area where I applied orange corrector. It does help keep my makeup in place, and keeps my pigmentation from breaking through the surface. I am really in love with product and I really impressed with it!

The wear time is very well, I work 12 hour shifts, 3 days a weeks and it really keeps my makeup in place. Now this powder can be used all over the face, but because Im more yellow in the middle of my face, I only use this on pigmentation area. This is a great product and with all loose powders it sets beautifully on the skin! This is a real winner!

XOXO,
Brandee

Cetaphil Intensive Moisturizing Cream with Shea Butter Review

While on a recent trip to Target, I passed by some new Cetaphil products. I've always been a fan of Cetaphil products especially when I had bad acne, Cetaphil really helped with taming it. So I was excited to see a moisturizer from them with shea butter in it. This is tube is 3 oz and is a thick, creamy, strongly scent shea butter smells. As much as I love shea butter, I absolutely hate the smell. It absorbs into the skin very nice and leaves a matte finish at 1st. After about 10 minutes you can really feel the hydration coming to surface of the skin.

Now this products doesn't state that its a facial moisturizer, even through it can be found in the skincare aisle. It really hydrated my skin at night, but it was just to thick and moisturizing for a day time wear. It felt my skin soft and I am happy with it as night cream. Since this isn't aimed as a facial moisturizer, there are no acne breakout ingredients in it to stop any acne from forming.

If you do plan on using this for the body I think that it works really nicely. It's easy to throw in a handbag and keep around. I enjoy this moisturizer and wish that it was actually a facial moisturizer, but with its thick texture its great at moisturizing.

XOXO,
Brandee

Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade Review

I believe that heavens gate open when Anastasia Beverly Hill released DipBrow Pomade! I am so love with this product that I don't see myself ever using another brow product. This is a must have product..go get it NOW! LOL!

I have the DipBrow pomade in the color Chocolate this is a creamy, pigmented pomade that slides on the brow so easily. It is a bulletproof product that once dried its not moving at ALL! There are 5 shades in this collection and they all offer a wide range of different shades from blondes to ebony. I choose Chocolate simply because I didn't want an super dark brow and I feel like Chocolate is the perfect middle of not to light and not to dark.

The product is really heaven! I don't have to worry about my brows moving or fading away throughout the day. The color is true, so it doesn't get chalky or blotchy after awhile. Now another important key is that you need very little product. It's so pigmented that a little truly goes a long way. I've had this over a month and have barely scratched the surface. I'm pretty sure it will last me almost forever!

This is a must have product for anymore wanting to enhance their shapes, fill in spare areas, or just give their brows a clean define line. It offers a wide range of shades and is just a great product!

XOXO,
Brandee

Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint and Lemon Review

 I love face masks they just make my skin feel baby skin, so I recently discovered Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint & Lemon mask. I was immediately drawn to this product it claimed to clean out pores and give a brightening effect to the skin. I figured this was made for me!

This is a thick mask with an extremely strong lemon scent to it. Alcohol is one of the ingredients so if you get to close to eyes it strings! (experienced this several times) There is a tangly, almost burning feeling once applied all over the face. The 1st time that I used it, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to leave it on for the 10-15 minutes its recommends.  It dries at a nice pace and like all masks becomes hard. After it was fully dried, rinsing it off was fairly easy. It didn't leave a case and my face did feel refreshed. I did have a little breakout on the side of cheek and the mask did dry out the breakout, which eventually helped it go down. It didn't brighten or completely clean out my pore, but for $2.99 I couldn't complain. It did a nice job and I like the feeling of refreshment it made my face feel. Overall this is a nice mask, I can't say that it will clear up all breakouts, but it will dry it out and give your face a nice squeaky clean, refreshment boost! A must nice!

XOXO,
Brandee