Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Rich Hydrating Eye Cream

Hi beauties! Just a super quick post letting you all know that I love this stuff! 

The Beautiful Skin Rich Hydrating Eye cream for all skin types is fantastic. It's nothing super special: it doesn't claim to reduce wrinkles or decrease puffyness, but gosh does it feel great.

The formulation is not overly thick and I just use a tiny drop on my ring fingers, rub them together, and pat under both eyes. It absorbs quickly and is not greasy.  I like to use this at night and my under eyes stay hydrated all day. I use it in conjunction with my Garnier Anti-Wrinkle under-eye roller ball thingy (the one in the green tube with the metal ball that feels wonderful.)

For .5 oz of product the cost is about $14-15.  I got mine through Walgreens.com, but Boots No 7 is also sold at Ulta.  (Next time I'll purchase it there with a 20% off coupon.) I'm sure there are other eye creams that have more benefits and actually work wonders, but I am quite pleased with this product. 

But does it work?

For not having any special claims, yep!  Works just fine. 

So would I buy it again?

Definitely. I'm also interested in other under-eye products. I don't have bags or dark circles, but targeting premature wrinkles would be nice. 

What are your favorite under-eye products?

NYX Infinite Shadowstick

Tried out these NYX Infinite Shadowsticks in store on my hand and they stayed on all day.  Literally, all day. NYX's claim to waterproof and smudge proof is true. I still saw reminants of shadow at the end of the night. I knew I had to buy them; perfect for those long days where I go from desk job to bartending job with a quick stop at the gym in between. My eye makeup would just be one thing I wouldn't have to worry about touching up. 

These retail for $8.99 at Ulta.  You get .19 oz of product that comes in a traditional pencil form. Meaning it needs to be sharpened. Not my favorite.  I really wish it was a twist-up product. 

The colors I got were Rose Gold (top) and Silk (bottom.) Rose Gold is just that; a metallic rose-gold color, and Silk is more of a taupey goldish brown. Both are beautiful. 

The product isn't overly pigmented. It's a nice application of color that can be blended out easily. I apply it straight from the pencil and blend it out with my finger. A light crease color and some smokey liner is how I've been wearing this and it looks great. It would also make a great base color for a more intense look. 

But does it work?

Once set, the color does not budge and doesn't crease.  Face wash and a quick swipe of eye-makeup remover is all I use to take this off, so it also removes pretty easily, too.  These are fantastic and the color selection is quite beautiful. There are 9 total including a black and a highlight shade. 

Would I purchase it again?

You bet! I would live to have all these colors. I think a pretty metallic eye will be my go-to this summer. The black would also make for a great going out smokey eye that won't end up making me look like a raccoon. 

Have you tried the shadowsticks?  What do you think?  If you haven't, go out and get yourself one!

CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara

Hello beauties! Today's review is on a CoverGirl mascara. This came out a while ago, so I thought I'd give you my thoughts as I've been using it for a few months.

This is CoverGirl's Flamed Out mascara in Blaze. (It also comes in Very Black, but I don't know the difference.)  It retails around $7.00, but as always, I used a coupon.

The packaging for this mascara is insanely cute, but super bulky. The plastic almost feels a little cheap. Like if I twist the top too hard it would crack. Alas, I'm a sucker for huge voluminous lashes so I bought it. 

As you can see, the wand itself is hourglass shaped with short, dense bristles. Definitely something I had never tried and it took me some time to get used to. The formula is more on the dry side, which is something I like in volume-building mascara, but right off the bat this just seemed a little too dry. 

Application of this mascara is nothing short of a magic act. It takes mad skill to not get this all over your eyelid. All. Over. It's not a pretty sight. I get what they're trying to do with the hourglass shape - build up and flare out the inner and outer corners of your lashes but girl, that just doesn't happen.

Let me show you:

The brush is so damn big it attacks your eyeball. And I don't have small eyes or exceptionally short lashes. Can you see the black all over my eyelid? I did this late at night and have no eyeshadow on so I couldn't mess that part up. I've tried this mascara every way possible. I've curled my lashes, left them straight, tried a coat of something else underneath, and even tried the business card trick.  Don't even bother telling me I'm bad at mascara application: I've been putting on mascara for the past 14 years. The brush is just too big.

But does it work? 

Yes. See for yourself.  Before and after, no makeup, lashes un-curled. 

 

I see volume, length, and a little flare. Gotta admit, it's not awful. But dang is it hard to apply. And the older the mascara is (no, not past 3 months) the drier it gets, making it that much harder to put on.

So would I buy it again?

No. It's not worth fighting with my mascara and using my nail or a Q-Tip to remove the smudges when I can get something comparable that doesn't make me look like I tried putting on mascara in the dark with a toothbrush. 

Makeup Geek Eye Shadow

Hi lovelies!

I am super excited about today's post because I've been waiting to try the Makeup Geek brand for a while now.  Marlena is one of my absolute favorite YouTubers because she gives great demonstrations and I think has really honest reviews.  She's just beautiful inside and out, and I love supporting people who are working to achieve their dreams. 

I can't exactly figure out why I was holding out on placing a MUG order.  I would check out the site, hear reviews, put items in my cart, then never actually follow through with the purchase.  I actually did that several times.  Eventually, I gave in after months of hearing others rave, and I mean RAVE, about MUG eye shadows.  I'm kind of an eye shadow junkie; I'll try any brand and color.  If it's wild, I'll find a way to make it work.  I'm not ashamed.  Lately though, I've been really into natural colors and practicing my crease work.  Figuring out what colors and formulas I like best and just getting the technique down.  I had heard from several YouTubers (i.e. Jaclyn Hill) that some of the matte MUG colors make great crease/transition colors, so I thought the time was right to follow through with my order.

I chose the pan versions of Beaches and Cream, Crème Brulee and Chickadee, and the compact version of Corrupt from the MUG website (www.makeupgeek.com.)  Aside from the matte colors, I was also in the market for a good black.  The pan shadows are $5.99 each and the compacts are $7.99.  They came a few days later in a small box (with actual packing peanuts!  I haven't seen those in forever!) and were pretty secure. 

The pan shadows came in little cardstock envelopes with adorable print.  When the shadow sleeve is removed, Marlena has a message printed on each one, which I think makes a great touch.  The compact came in a small box with equally cute packaging.  The names of all the colors are clearly printed on stickers on the backs of each of the items. 

The pans are pretty standard and fit nicely in my Z Palette.  I do have to say the compact does feel a little plastic-y, but whatever.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  What do they look like, Britt?!

G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.

Stunning.  Marvelous.  Pigmented.  Smooth.  Natural.  Mouth-gaping, tongue-on-floor beautiful.  I kid you not. 


Top: Beaches and Cream, Left: Crème Brulee, Right: Chickadee

Holy moly.  The colors are rich and smooth and oh-so-buttery.  The swatches on my fingertips are with me barely touching the product.  On my hand, it's just one swipe.  I apologize that my pictures don't do the color payoff justice.  I am seriously floored.   

 
But do they work?
The matte colors are a bit flaky in the pan, especially when I touched a brush to them.  But when applied to the skin, there is virtually no fallout and the colors blend out wonderfully.  The colors are surprisingly true to how they look in the pan, which I find is a hard feat for makeup manufacturers to accomplish.  Take a look:





Beaches and Cream

Beaches and Cream is an ever so slight pinky beige, and is only a bit lighter than my skin tone.  (Strange, because I have a pretty olive skin tone, which is exceptionally pasty right now.)  This  wouldn't be my best highlight color, but I can imagine using this to blend out a crease.  It is a "my skin but better" color and would also be good on a "no makeup, makeup" day for me to keep my eye looking fresh, but with no shimmer.





Crème Brulee

Crème Brulee is described as a "medium sand color with soft matte finish."  It's more of a soft beige- light brown in my opinion.  It is the only one of the 3 matte colors I have that looks more orange on my skin than in the pan. 








Chickadee

Chickadee is a warm, almost rusty orange that is beautiful on the skin.  It's a color you would look at and question how to pull it off, but it really warms up the crease in a way a brown just can't do. 

And this.  This is the mother of all black eye shadows.  The blackest I've seen.  EVER.  It has the slightest shimmer but it's almost undetectable.  Unfortunately, there was a great deal of fallout when I swatched Corrput, and it's not as smooth to the touch as the other matte shades, but I don't even care.  For color like this at that price, I will gladly deal with it. 

Corrupt

I received these in the mail last night and am wearing them today.  Chickadee in the crease, Beaches and Cream to blend it out, Two Faced "Honey Pot" on the lid, "Erotica" in the outer corner, and "Silk Teddy" in the inner corner and as a highlight.  I used a touch of Corrupt on the outer top lid as a little liner and for some definition.  I'm impressed.  The matte colors blended out so nicely and evenly and made my morning makeup routine

Would I purchase these again?

You bet your sweet @$$ I would!  The price is extremely reasonable, they are insanely pigmented, application is easy, and the color selection is extensive.  I'm a sucker for dupes and Marlena did a great job of recreating some of the most popular shadows with her line.  Like I said, she has my total support. 

Great job, Makeup Geek!  You have won my heart.  (And my wallet.)  You will be seeing me again!


Have you tried any Makeup Geek shadows?  Let me know!  I can't wait to try her pigments next...!  EEK!





 



Maybelline Baby Skin

Hey beauties!  A few weeks ago I was able to pick up the last Maybelline Baby Skin at my local RiteAid.  I've used it a few times (not extremely regularly) but I thought I'd do a review for you because I already have a good feel for how this performs.




Prior to picking this up, I had to rely on my favorite YouTube gurus and bloggers for information on it because this wasn't (and still isn't) on Maybelline's website!  I had heard mixed reviews, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway.  My pores aren't out of control and I'm not self-conscious about them, but if I can make them less apparent, why not give it a try?  Plus RiteAid was one of the first to pioneer the awesome beauty return policy, so I could always return it if it sucked. 

Being the coupon-crazed fiend that I am, I ended up snagging this for around $4.00.  I believe it retails for about $6.00.  Baby Skin comes in a 20 ml / (.67 fluid ounce) adorable light turquoise squeeze tube.  Not a lot of product, but I guess if you just concentrate it around your nose like I did and not your whole face, it isn't too bad.

The product is a clear matte gel that feels extremely similar to NYX's Studio Finish Photo-Loving Primer (my daily primer) or ELF Mineral Face Primer.  It has no apparent smell. 

The back of the tube stresses to "SMOOTH" the product onto your skin, so the first time I used it, that's what I did.  I concentrated it around my nose area and not really anywhere else, but honestly couldn't tell an immediate difference.  The product is extremely silicone-y feeling and doesn't blend into the skin.  I tried patting it into my pores to fill them à la Loreal Miracle Blur, but couldn't really tell a difference.  Ok, maybe my pores looked a little less noticeable, but that's only if I looked really hard.  And pretended. 

I let it sit for a few seconds then applied foundation.  Aaah, there's the difference!  My pores were less noticeable (note: not invisible) with this product as opposed to no Baby Skin.  They were only slightly blurred.  I've never tried a product that completely eliminated the tiny holes in my face.  I kind of liked the result.  Better than nothing, but not great.  The next test was to see how it wears throughout the day. 

Amount used to cover nose area

But does it work?
Eh.  It doesn't really have any staying power and isn't mattifying.  About 4 hours later I could start to see my pores again.  Keep in mind, it's winter and tend to use a few Kleenexes throughout the day, so that could obviously cause some wear.  I've tried layering it under and on top of my primer to see if I could get it to perform differently.  Under primer actually works surprisingly well.  I apply Baby Skin to my bare skin, wait a few seconds, apply my primer, wait a minute, then apply foundation.  That layering method seems to work best for me.

I've used this several more times and my opinion really hasn't changed.  Baby Skin works ok, but it's no miracle product. 

Would I purchase this again?
I could take it or leave it.  My primer works just fine and if I'm in a rush in the morning, it's just another step I would have to take.  Either my pores aren't that bad, or I just don't care about them like some others do.  I mean, do I really want someone that close to my face anyway? 


What are your thoughts?  Have you tried this?  How does it perform for you?

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

Hi beauties!  In yesterday's post I mentioned I use oil on my face (!!) so I thought it would be appropriate to review it next. 

About a year ago my sister received a sample of Tarte's Pure Maracuja Oil when she purchased another Tarte product at Ulta.  She looked at it and said "oh hell no."  She has oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin and the thought of her putting more oil on it grossed her out.  She handed it over to me like it was a pile of toenail clippings.  Little did she know she just fueled my obsession.  Having skin the exact opposite of her, I couldn't wait to try it.  I had heard mixed reviews, so I was extremely curious. 


 The packaging is quite nice.  Tarte chose a glass vial with a dropper lid - very classy looking - which makes dispensing the product super easy.  The sample bottle is just a smaller version of the regular size, which makes it super cute. 

The oil is thin and clear.  Much different than olive oil.  It's almost like melted coconut oil consistency; very watery, but will not harden like coconut oil will.  The smell is a fragrant, almost nutty scent, but not unpleasant.  I quite like it.  The only downfall is when you drop it on your fingertips, it runs between your fingers, so you have to work quickly, and kind of rub all sides of your fingers on your face.  It's a really strange motion, but it's the best way I've found short of dropping the oil directly on my face (a task I have not yet mastered without missing my face a few times.)

I use this product at night following package instructions.  I dispense a few drops on my fingertips (except I use 3-4 drops,) rub my fingertips together, and smooth over my face starting with my nose and spreading outward, sometimes in a patting motion.  The area around my nose tends to get super dry in the winter, so I concentrate most of the oil there.  The instant I put this on my skin, I feel relief.  Yes, it does feel weird slathering oil on your face, but the dryness just soaks it right up.  The maracuja oil absorbs into the skin so quickly, it doesn't take much to work it in to the skin. 

But does it work?
Afterwards, my skin does have an oily glow and is very slightly greasy.  I honestly don't mind because it feels so good.  Plus, it's nighttime so I'm not looking to put makeup over it anyway.  By the morning, my skin feels SO SOFT and looks fantastic.  I have not had any adverse reactions to using this oil on my face - no breakouts, overly clogged pores, nothing.  And I use it in conjunction with my Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil. 

Tarte's website claims this maracuja oil has "anti-aging and healing properties for firmer, brighter, and smoother looking skin."  I can't attest to the anti-aging properties (I'm only 28!) but it certainly makes my skin look healthy, smooth, and bright!

Y'all may be thinking I have uber dry skin to be using two oil-based products on it, but it really isn't.  I believe girls with normal skin can use this product, but those with oily skin should probably stay away, or at least keep it away from the oily parts of their face. 


Would I purchase this again?
I have!  After the sample was gone, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the full-size bottle.  Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil is pretty expensive for my taste, and I wasn't really willing to pay the retail $46.00 for 1.7 fluid ounces for it.  Instead I decided to try to find a cheaper alternative.  I did without it for a while, and my skin wasn't quite the same.  Lucky me though, I found it at an Ulta 21 Days of Beauty event a few months ago for $25.00.  Score!    Why didn't I buy 2...?

Garnier Clean Nourishing Cleansing Oil

Before I talk about what I put on my face, I need to mention what I use to take it off. 

I recently saw a Garnier stand-alone display in my local CVS with a few products on it.  The only thing that caught my eye was their *NEW* Nourishing Cleansing Oil.  I have normal-to-dry skin that has been more on the dry side this winter.  I have been really into thick, nourishing moisturizers and have been using oils on my face, too (more on that later) so this really caught my eye.  My skin is not very temperamental, so I can usually try just about anything. 

 

The bottle claims that the Cleansing Oil "Dissolves Impurities & Makeup + Replenishes Skin" with Jojoba & Macadamia Oils.  Right up my alley.  It was around $7.99+ and comes in a clear bottle with a pump top and 4.2 fluid ounces of product. 

 

I decided to check for it at RiteAid (I find that it's a bit cheaper there and it's closer to me) or wait for a coupon to come out soon before I purchased it.  I have a pretty good nighttime routine that works just fine for me, so I wasn't in a rush to make the purchase.

 

Yeah, that didn't happen.  After 3 days of not getting this cleansing oil out of my mind, I had to have it.  I checked around several other drug stores, Ulta, and, coming up empty-handed, went back to CVS to purchase it. 

 

The instructions indicate to make sure your hands and face are dry before use.  1-2 pumps are recommended, but I use 2, maybe 2.5 pumps.  The oil smells, well, oily.  It doesn't have a chemical scent, it's not floraly, and it's not a clean scent.  It smells like it's good for your skin.I use my fingertips to rub the oil all over my face and really work it in, starting with my cheeks, chin, forehead, and ending on my eyes.  It takes a bit of work (gently, of course), but I can really feel the oil breaking up my mascara after a bit.  I don't typically open my eyes when washing my face, but I did try with this product and it did not seem to irritate them at all. 

 

Water emulsifies the oil and makeup to make it easy to wash off.  When I rinsed my face the first time, I felt like I couldn't rinse it enough to make the oil come off.  I felt greasy and unclean.  But the more times I used the product, I realized that the residual oils that were left on my skin, making it smooth, soft, and supple.   My skin felt really great, not like that "dry, clean" feeling you get when you use a cleanser, if you know what I mean. 

 

But does it work? 

For the most part, yes.  The majority of my makeup comes off except for a few areas that I may miss when rubbing the oil around, like around my nose.  I also notice that my mascara doesn't come off as well as I thought it had.  I still use a makeup wipe to clean up my eyes again and do a once-over of my face, but I don't notice that the "oily" feeling dissipates too much.  After several weeks of using Garnier Clean Nourishing Cleansing Oil, I haven't had any breakouts or irritation and I've noticed I use less of my regular moisturizers.  I have moved my regular cleanser to the shower and wash my face there.

 

In short, this product does remove makeup well, leaves my skin feeling soft and healthy, and smells great.  I can't wait to see how this works when the weather changes in the spring/summer. 

 

Would I purchase this again?

Yes.  I have also recommended it for a friend who was telling me about her dry skin.  She loves it. 

 

 

If you've tried this out, let me know what you think!