MAKEUP DE-CLUTTER WEEK #2 : BLUSH

 Hey guys!

It’s time for week #2 of my makeup de-clutter series, and this week I’m getting rid of….BLUSHES!

I honestly didn’t think I had that many, so when I was decided what to de-clutter next, I thought “ya know, I’m kinda tired this week, I’ll do something easy; like blushes maybe!”.

What. A. Tool. ‘Cuz this was harder than I thought.

In this series, I’ll walk you through what I’m keeping, what I’m tossing or giving away, and why – however, with things like mascara for example, if I’m not keeping them, they’re going in the trash, for very obvious, sanitary reasons.

So let’s get started!

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MY BLUSH COLLECTION

 

So….clearly, I have too much blush. No one needs this much blush….but I like to have options, what can I say? However, I know that there are many that I just don’t reach for anymore.

Let’s see what I decided to toss!

 

Top Row:

Physician’s Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush in Natural – I actually really love this, and the packaging is adorable, but honestly, I never reach for it. So it’s time to pass it on.
Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in Light/Medium – That light pink shade on the right (which looks darker than it really is) makes the overall result too light, even on my fair skin. Out it goes. 
L’Oreal Visible Lift Color Lift Blush in Peach Gold Lift  – This blush has noticeable shimmer in it, which only accentuates the large pores on my cheeks. Buh-bye! 
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake – I had a bunch of these that I recently gave to my stepdaughter, but I kept this one because i like the shade. I just don’t use it. Time to pass it along. 

Middle Row:

Physician’s Formula Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil Blush in Natural – I really like this blush, but it always seems to get lost in my collection. Time to give it to someone who can really appreciate it.
Milani Baked Blush in Corallina – The color is absolutely beautiful, but it’s got noticeable glitter in it, which frankly, drives me nuts. Gone.
Revlon Cream Blush in Pinched & Flushed – I have four of these, however Pinched does nothing on my skin; it’s just too light. Flushed is a pretty fuchsia shade, but on my fair skin it’s not that flattering; it would look great on someone with light/medium to medium skin or deeper.

Bottow Row:

NYX Powder Blush in Peach & Pinched – Both absolutely beautiful, but I have similar shades in a blush palette that I’ll get to in a minute, and I just don’t see the need for loose compacts floating around my drawer. 

 

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 Looking back, I probably should have tried harder to organize this into rows for the sake of explaining which is which, but these are labeled pretty damn clearly, so let’s talk about what I’m keeping!

Revlon Highlighting Palette in Rose Glow – Is it a blush, or is it a highlight? I like to use this on days where I want the look of both, but don’t have the time. So pretty! And so similar to the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick! 
L’Oreal Visible Lift Color Lift Blush in Nude Lift – This one has no visible shimmer in it, and it’s a pretty rosy/brown shade that is so wearable with minimal makeup or a full face!
Morphe Brushes 9B Blushed Blush Palette – This is the palette that I was talking about; nine beautiful shades in both matte and shimmer finishes, and I love this for freelance work, because there’s literally something for everyone! 
L’Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blush in Soft Peach – This has the most beautiful finish; very natural, no shimmer, blurs my pores ever so slightly, and the packaging makes it easy to toss in my bag for touch-ups throughout the day; no brushes required!
Revlon Cream Blush in Coral Reef & Charmed – I kept these shades because they just seem so much more wearable on me. I love these under foundation, or on minimal makeup days when I just need that little bit of ‘oomph’! 
Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (top) & Berry Amore (bottom) – Luminoso is a cult classic, so it goes without saying that I’m keeping this. Berry Amore is a berry shade with brown undertones and a touch of shimmer, but not overwhelmingly glittery shimmer, and I’d love to start using it more.
ULTA Sunkissed Blush/Highlight Duo – This actually came as a sample in a ‘gift with purchase’ bag last summer, and I am crazy in love with this shade. Its rosy and mauve-y and brown with a touch of shimmer, but it still looks very natural. The highlighter I could do without, as it’s more of a chalky white, glittery powder, but it’s alright on the eyes; literally, I don’t mind it as a shadow. 
NYX Powder Blush in Mocha – This is hardly a mocha shade; but it sure is pretty. Similar to Berry Amore, but totally matte. It stays. 

TOSS TOTAL : 10
KEEP TOTAL : 10

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I think that’s a decent result actually. Once again, this is another category that I didn’t realize I had so much of until I started going through it! I’m sure my friends will love digging through this stuff!

Have you guys ever done a makeup de-clutter? What kind of things did you toss or keep? Have you tried any of these blushes? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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LOTS OF LOVE!!

ONE-BRAND FAVES: REVLON

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post focusing on one specific brand! Today we’ll be talking about Revlon, which is probably one of my favorite drugstore makeup lines!

Now I did do one of these before, a one-brand favorites post about L’Oreal Paris (click here to read that post), and that particular one included products for just about every area of the face. This one, however, will not be that way, because well, I’m not necessarily fond on Revlon’s mascara or brow products, etc. But if you want to see what I do love from them, keep on reading!

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REVLON PHOTOREADY PERFECTING PRIMER

I can honestly say that this is probably my number one most reached for Revlon product. I did a full review on this primer (which you can read here) but basically this stuff fills in any pores and fine lines, it feels more lotion-y than silicone-y (silicone primers irritate me) and it doesn’t break me out! It keeps me matte all day long, which is unheard of for my skin, and it keeps my makeup in place all day long. I have a lot of drugstore primers, and honestly I don’t really love them. But this one is my go-to!

REVLON COLORSTAY WHIPPED CREME MAKEUP

I’ve got a full review on this stuff too (click here) – I don’t know what it is about this foundation, but the longer I wear it, the better it looks! Most foundations break up on me by the end of the day, at least in the most common places – the sides of the nose, the smile lines, the chin and the center of my forehead – this stays put, and looks more and more natural as the day goes on! It’s got more of a satin matte finish, which I like, and while it seems like it would feel heavy judging by the consistency, it’s actually quite lightweight, which I love; nothing is worse than makeup that feels like a mask – it’s just so uncomfortable. Pick some up and try it for yourself – you won’t be sorry!

REVLON COLORSTAY MAKEUP FOR COMBO/OILY SKIN

You guessed it, there’s another post about it already (click here) – and this is actually a great dupe for a much more expensive liquid makeup – but you’ll have to go read the post to find out which one! This is one that, unlike the formula above, is quite mattifying, and something that I rely on for like a summer wedding or something like that – where I know I want good medium to full coverage, but something lightweight that keeps me totally matte. We all have that one trusty, tried and true standby makeup that we can always rely on, and this one is mine, hands down! If you’re not oily but still want great long-wearing coverage, they do make this in a formula for normal to dry skin as well, so they’ve got everyone covered (ha ha!).

REVLON PHOTOREADY SKINLIGHTS FACE ILLUMINATOR

 

 I think these are a highly underrated product! They’re liquid highlighters, and they come in four shades – Bare Lights, Pink Lights, Peach Lights, and Bronze Lights – to suit every skin tone. These are a-m-a-z-i-n-g not just on the face (great for strobing!)  but on the body as well, using a little on the collarbone, chest, shoulders, even down your shins in the summer for a gorgeous glow! I feel like they just don’t get the love they deserve! I haven’t seen them in stores in awhile though, so I’m wondering if they’ve been discontinued. You can click the link above which is a link to Amazon and I’ve found them for you, if you want to try them for yourself – and you should!!

REVLON HIGHLIGHTING PALETTE

 

 I love these. They’re also great dupes for the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks *wink wink* and they come in three shades; a pink, a peach, and a bronze. There are five individual shades within each palette that can be used as singles, which is great for adding a gorgeous glowy highlight or some sheen on the lids or brow bone, or you can swirl them all together for an all over gleam! This is another of their items that I just can’t understand why hardly anyone talks about them, they’re wonderful!

REVLON PHOTOREADY CREAM BLUSHES

This is an item that I do believe is being discontinued, as I’ve been seeing them with the orange clearance tags at my local Walgreens, so now is the time to go snap them up! I’ve done a full review on these too, surprise surprise (click here) and I absolutely love them! I feel like they just look more natural and wear far longer than any of my powder blushes! I like to apply these with a stippling brush underneath my foundation for the most natural effect. If you want to try them and have trouble finding them locally, you can click on the link above and order them there!

REVLON SUPER LUSTROUS LIPSTICK

 

 I think I can honestly say that as far as drugstore lipstick goes, this is the best of the best. Seven decades – that’s 70 years! – and 82 shades to choose from in 4 different finishes! The Revlon lipstick game is strong! With everything from nudes to reds to my personal favorite shade, Black Cherry, if I could only ever again recommend one brand of lipstick, this would be the one! They’re comfortable, they have amazing color payoff, they wear very well, they’re just all around incredible! And they won the “Allure Magazine Reader’s Choice Award” in both 2014 and 2015!! Guys, million of people can’t be wrong, can they?!

REVLON COLORBURST LIP BUTTER

 

 I’ve lost count on how many of these I own. I feel like every trip to the drugstore yields at least 2 of them to make sure I always have them on hand! They’re a gorgeous, hydrating gel formula, with great color payoff, and a great shade selection! Some of my favorites are Pink Truffle, which is like, the perfect MLBB (my lips but better) shade, Peach Parfait, a shimmery, summery peach, and Fig Jam, which looks intimidatingly brown but sheers out over the lips for the perfect deepened version of your natural lip color – Fig Jam is also a great dupe for Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey! Some shades have been discontinued already and some are on the list to be next so get them while you can!!

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What do you guys think of Revlon cosmetics? What different ones have you tried? Leave me a comment and let me know! Additionally, if there’s a specific brand you’d like me to focus on for a future post like this, leave me a comment on that as well!

And please go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!!

HOW TO – CREAM CONTOUR & HIGHLIGHT

Most people think of highlighting and contouring and think they automatically have to use powder products to achieve the look – not the case!

Today we’ll be using cream products to highlight and contour! And believe it or not, it’s even easier to do, and far more natural looking for every day!

This practice is used to do just as it sounds – it sculpts the face, creates shadows to help conceal or slim some features while bringing light to others, defining them and bringing more attention.

Powder H&C can be a little harsh for daytime – and it requires a pretty decent amount of product to achieve the look which can subsequently feel on the heavier side. Powders also can be less-than-ideal for people with dry skin, and this is because powder can tend to cling to dry patches, making it harder to blend, and appearing dirty and well, patchy!

But creams can be applied lightly, blended easily, and can look incredibly natural if done properly! And depending on the formula of the products you use, this is a great technique for ALL skin types!

Here’s what you’ll need :

• your favorite concealer, 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone
• your favorite concealer, 4-5 shades darker than your skin tone
• a cream blush
• a damp makeup sponge
• a stippling brush
• a translucent setting powder
• a powder brush

So without further ado, let’s get started!

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*If you choose to wear foundation underneath this, you’ll want to make sure that you have the THINNEST possible layer of foundation on. Or BB cream. Whatever you choose to use. I say thin because in a minute we’ll be adding more cream products, and when you over-apply them, it can start to walk the line between natural looking and cake face. And no one likes cake face. Now, that’s not saying you HAVE to use foundation or BB cream – we will be using concealers for this tutorial, and since they’re basically going all over the face, foundation isn’t really necessary. But I would DEFINITELY recommend using your favorite primer before anything else, so your H&C doesn’t slide around or break down on you during the day. Oh, and if you have any dark circles to color correct, you’ll want to do that now.*

If you look closely you can see the line of dark concealer on my cheek – I know, horrible lighting, I’m so sorry!

 

First we’ll go in and contour, and for that I’ll be using the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Deep ($7/ULTA). Starting with the cheeks, it’s pretty much the same idea as powder contouring – start from the top of your ear, and angle downward towards the corner of your mouth, but don’t go any further than the outer corner of your eye. And it’s best to keep the line a little bit higher, because you never want your contour too low – this can drag down all of your features and make you look sallow and droopy. Repeat on the other side.

 

Next trace the top of your forehead along the hairline with your contour shade, and then on either side, draw a few small lines right above the outer corner of each brow. You can add more or less depending on how large or small your forehead is. If you have a small forehead, add less. If you have a higher forehead and you want to make it look smaller, add a little more.

  If you want to add some definition to your chin, you can apply a tiny amount just under the jawline – I typically don’t do this but it’s a great trick to hide a double chin.

 

And I always, always contour my nose. It’s just personal preference, like the jawline – you don’t have to do this – but if you feel like you have a slightly wider nose, this is a great way to make it look slimmer, and additionally, if you have a less-than-straight nose, it can make it look straighter. If you feel like your nose is long, you can also add some of that contour shade in a V shape to the tip of your nose, making it look shorter.

It’s possible I had entirely too much fun drawing lines of concealer all over my face!

Now we can move on to highlighting! Taking my Maybelline Fit Me concealer in Fair ($7/ULTA), I’m going to apply that to all the places I want to bring light to – under the eyes in a V shape, between the brows, down the center of the nose, the cupids bow, either side of my nose to conceal redness, around the sides of my mouth, the smile lines, and the chin. You can also apply a thin line immediately under the contour line on the cheeks to make sure it stays defined and doesn’t get lost on the sides of the face, or fall too low.

 

Next we’re gonna take our damp sponge, and I’m using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($7/ULTA), and begin to blend everything out. I like to start with my contour, and blend that out first, and then flip the sponge over and blend out my highlight, that way if the contour looks a little dark, you can blend your highlight over it without dragging your colors together too much and making your face look muddy and dirty. And of course if you feel like you need more, you can add more. It’s always easier to add a little at a time than it is to take it away! Whatever you do make sure you blend away any trace of lines from where we initially applied the product – you want this totally blended, you don’t want to see any harsh lines!

 

In sticking with the theme of cream products, I’m going to apply a cream blush like Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in Charmed ($14/ULTA), and I’m using the e.l.f. Studio Small Stipple Brush ($3/Target) for this, to make it look the most natural.

From here on out I just like to set all my makeup with a translucent powder, and I’ve recently been loving this Mary Kay Translucent Loose Powder ($16/marykay.com) that I got as a hostess gift for throwing a Mary Kay party for a friend, but you can use any translucent powder you have on hand. I just apply that with a Real Techniques Powder Brush ($10/ULTA) to lock everything in place, and then go on to finish the rest of my makeup.

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You guys, thank you for bearing with me through my atrocious vanity lighting! I should start coming out to shoot in the hallway where I took the picture above – this is in front of a window with lots of natural light. Additionally, I used no foundation for this tutorial – I wanted you guys to see just how much coverage you could get with just a little bit of product and the right amount of blending!!

You did it! Personally, I love this technique more for everyday – I just think it looks so much more natural. And like I said, if you’re someone with dry skin, you’ll love this because it won’t cling to dry spots, and it won’t feel chalky and uncomfortable. But if you’re someone with oily skin, that’s fine too – just use long wearing concealers or even different shades of foundation (Revlon Colorstay Foundations would work great here!) to achieve this look!

I hope you guys picked up some useful tips and tricks from this tutorial! Leave me comments below and let me know if you’ve tried cream highlighting and contouring and what your favorite products are! I love to hear from you guys!

And don’t forget to go follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!

REVIEW : REVLON PHOTOREADY CREAM BLUSHES

 It’s no secret by now that I have a profound love of Revlon products. Let’s face it, they put out some pretty great stuff. In fact they’re the only brand that has a primer that keeps me matte and doesn’t break me out (read that review here).

Awhile back I had picked up the Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes , but since it was spring/summer and I was an oily monster, I set them aside and almost forgot about them – until now.

I pulled them out the other day as I was starting to declutter, and realized I hadn’t really given them a fair chance. So I began playing around. And let me tell you, I wish I had dug into these sooner!

I have 4 shades, I’m not sure if there are more, as when I searched for links for you guys, I was only able to come up with 2 or 3 at a time from various retailers. I picked mine up at Walmart for about $13, but I’m not sure if they’re still available there. I have found individual links on eBay and Amazon if you guys are interested in picking these up for yourselves. Like I said, these aren’t new – I’m just late to the party! But I realized I never really gave them the attention they deserved. Here we go!

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FORMULA

These have a slightly drier texture, similar to say, the Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Shadows. They are pretty pigmented, so I prefer to apply them with a small stippling brush for the most natural look. From there I find I can build up the intensity to my liking. They look very natural, blend well despite being on the dry side, and photograph incredibly well (hence the ‘PhotoReady’ moniker, of course). I find them to be quite long wearing when applied properly.

TIP * I’ve found through much trial and error, that the best way to apply a cream blush is to first lay down your primer, then take a small duo fiber stippling brush, like the e.l.f. Studio Small Stippling Brush ($3) and swirl it around in the product, and apply lightly to the cheeks. The duo fiber brush allows for just the right amount of pigment to be laid down without being too intense. Think how you apply foundation or BB Cream with a stippling brush because you want a more sheer to light coverage, right? Same concept. After that, I like to apply my foundation OVER the cream blush, blending carefully around the blush, and I find that this allows for the most natural looking flush. Seriously, it’s so seamless, it’s undetectable.

PACKAGING

These little blushes come in a clear plastic pot with a black plastic lid, and contain .44 oz of product. That’s not too bad, considering how pigmented they are and how little you really need to use, they’ll last for quite some time if cared for properly (i.e. cleaning your brushes between uses as to not cross contaminate). It’s a thin, acrylic-y kind of plastic though, so if you were planning to travel with these, I would advise to do so cautiously – they could easily crack in your luggage.

COLORS

As I said above, I’ve found them in 4 colors; Coral Reef, Pinched, Flushed, and Charmed Enchantment. They appear super pigmented in the pots, and they can be if applied with say, your fingers. Like I said, I prefer to blend these out with a stippling brush so they sheer out a little bit.

 

 Coral Reef is a bright, orangey pink shade. Great for spring and summer, and most flattering on someone with natural warmth to their skin tone.

 

 Pinched is a light peach, with just a hint of shimmer (the rest are matte) which I find to accent fair skin tones beautifully.

 

 Flushed is a hot fuchsia pink shade, that can look intimidating but sheers out beautifully. This really gives you that ‘just finished a hike on a beautiful fall day’ glow.

 

 Charmed Enchantment is a rosey shade with the slightest hints of brown undertones. This is my favorite shade, as it seems the most wearable for everyday.

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Overall, I would have to say that these are some of the best cream blushes that I have every used – and I’ve tried A LOT of them. They’re pigmented but blendable, they look natural, and they last just about all day. What I love most about them though, is that as part of the PhotoReady line, they truly photograph beautifully! There’s nothing worse (while being photographed, anyway) than looking washed out and DEAD.

Have you guys tried any of these? Do you have a favorite cream blush that maybe I haven’t found yet? Let me know in the comments below!

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @dlynnesposito, and go like the new Affordable Gorgeous page on Facebook!

LOTS OF LOVE!