New Makeup Review

bare minerals, beauty review, beauty product review

In my first post for The Spiff I compared the maiden blog entry to opening a new makeup product. Because nothing beats the feeling of promise that you have when you hold a new product in your hand.

It’s a magical feeling that has you believing the thin plastic protector is the only thing that stands between you and perfect you.

Few products can live up to that kind of hype. I got to try a new one yesterday that had me believing in makeup again *camera pans off to the starry sky. ;)

Bare Minerals is for sure one of my favorite beauty brands. Cracking open my makeup drawer will prove this. I love the fact that their stuff is good for your skin, it’s hydrating, has lots of SPF, sold at a great price point, and makes me look good (it’s not a hard job, really *tosses hair).

BUT lately I’ve been on the hunt for new foundation because while I’ve been a long term fan of their original formula, it doesn’t wear well. And I got tired of coming home after work and having to really touch up my face. Single Elizabeth would completely redo her makeup for a fresh look. Mother Elizabeth doesn’t have the time.

Obviously, Bare found out that one of their most loyal slash INFLUENTIAL customers was shopping around, and immediately scrambled to produce something that would keep me happy. Don’t burst my bubble – they made it just for me.

Bare Pro is their new foundation. It’s equivalent to MAC makeup in that it’s the pressed powder. Except: It’s filled with natural ingredients and is still good for your skin and is in for the long haul.

I stopped by the Bare Minerals in West Town Mall yesterday to put it to the test and here’s what I thought about it…

1. It looked beautiful. The finish was even better than the original formula – very smooth and “airbrushy”.

2. I loved the feeling of the new brush it comes with. The liquid foundation Bare came out with a few years ago was very dissappointing (the brush was TERRIBLE) so I was hesitant about this one. But it’s great. The brush is super soft and does a great job of buffing the product onto your face.

3. I had it applied around 1:30 and from there did all my regular stuff – worked outside, chased Jackson around for a while, cleaned the house, made dinner, ran errands. All the while I would stop to check my face – FLAWLESS.

4. I went to bed a little earlier than usual but tried to hold off washing my face since it was applied so late in the day. I wanted to truly test its longevity. After 8 hours I felt as if it looked way better than my face normally does with the original formula. There were still parts that needed to be touched up, but I didn’t feel the need to start completely over. If I were to have left the house at that point and run into an old friend, I would have been good with how I looked. The next level up would be running into an old boyfriend, which I wouldn’t give it that great of a review. But that’s a high bar to reach.

Here’s a pic of me right before I washed my face. It’s hard to get the details, but don’t I look fresh? ;)

me bare minerals

Summary: I’m in. It’s not a matter of if I’m going to buy, it’s a matter of – how fast can I use up the foundation I do have so I can justify going out and buying this.

Hey, if you want to hear more from me, get some great deals AND a little makeover – stop by the Bare Minerals store in West Town Mall this Saturday! I’ll be there from 12-2 talking about my experience with the products. There will be coffee and chocolate and giggles – we’ll have a grand time. So come on by! It’s right behind Starbucks near the main entrance.

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How to Keep Your Purse Cute and Organized

ipsy, bags, ipsy bags, knoxville beauty blogger, beauty blog, east tennessee blogger, how to stay organized, how to be organized, cute bags, cute organizational bags

While in church a few weeks ago, just as we were all asked to stand for the service to close – my purse dumped out.

That’s high up there on the list of things that you don’t want happening during service (other things on that list: your child saying something inappropriate, your bra popping off).

The worst thing about it falling over? Everyone on the row behind me saw that I keep all my lipsticks in a cruddy Ziploc bag. Which is cruddy because it rolls around in my purse and gets beat up.

It was in that moment of pure annoyance (or should I say “purse” annoyance HA), that I realized I needed to change some things about my life. Specifically the things that are in my purse and how they are organized.

As it turns out, I signed up for a beauty subscription service that sends adorable bags to my mailbox EVERY MONTH. Why have I not been making full use of these cute Ipsy bags?! What else in my life have I been totally looking over?! Could my phone be used to make phone calls?!

As Jackson gets older his needs are only going to get more bag-related (snacks, snacks and snacks for after snack time – we’ve learned he’s a big fan of food). These bags are REALLY going to come in handy. And it’s another great cost justification for signing up for Ipsy. It’s only $10 a month and not only does it deliver cute bags, it makes it so that you don’t have to buy things like mascara, blush and bronzer for years.

I’m happy to report I now have an army of amazingly cute organized bags – one for lipsticks, one for receipts, one for gift cards, one for snacks and one for wipes.

We are living the good life now! :-D

Read what all typically comes in an Ipsy bag.

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Flawless Radiance Brush

Honestly, I really enjoyed being pregnant in the summertime. I don’t sweat very easily and am not often hot, so the 90 degree temps never really bothered me. Not to mention the fact that my husband is quite the opposite so I was finally comfortable in our 60 degree home.

What I enjoyed the most was not having to worry about my tan. I felt as if I could get away with being super white since I was pregnant (you can’t judge me I’m pregnant).

The one thing I didn’t give up (and don’t regardless of the season) was putting bronzer on my face. After applying foundation, I always contour my face with some bronzer to add color and dimension back in (I make an “E” starting at my forehead, hitting my cheek bones and finishing along my jaw line). This brush is one I reviewed last year, but it’s still doing an amazing job at applying just the right amount of color…

bronzer brush

Boy, does Bare Minerals know how to name their brushes or what? Who can say no to “flawless radiance“? On top of that, I’m going to go ahead and skip to the even better part, it’s only $22.

Now that I’ve got your wallet and your face considering it, let me tell you why it’s so great…

I’ve always been a big advocate for buying good brushes. Because I truly believe a good makeup brush takes your look from “homemade” to “professional” faster than anything else. This is true with any brush you would use on your face, but most recently I learned just how true it is when it comes to a bronzer brush.

I’ve been practicing what I preach by having great eye shadow brushes for years now. But I was getting a failing grade in the bronzer and blush brush category. “Oh any old thing will do,” is what I thought to myself as I picked up my old foundation brush to wipe the bronzer all over my face. Then I would get frustrated with the bronzer for not looking right…and the cycle would continue.

Then I went to Bare Minerals one day to talk about their new foundation. The girl applied it and some bronzer on my face (the very same bronzer I’d been failing with) and it looked fantastic! The difference? The brush.

You can believe I bought up that brush then and there! Gal pals, it makes such a huge difference. I mean HUGE difference in how the bronzer looks on my face. I’m loving how it blends and even how the bristles feel on my skin – it’s become my favorite part of the makeup process for sure.

Don’t waste any more time being frustrated with bad bronzer – get a new brush!!

Will you consider using bronzer all year?

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2 Cute Things and a Game-Changing New Cleanser

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This weekend marks our 7 year anniversary. When asked how things were going in our first year of marriage, I’d always start gushing about how much fun it was. I’d then immediately be reminded by the person that it’s only our first year. Give it time, they’d say. *Blank face emoji

And while I know 7 years in isn’t much, it’s been enough for us to experience plenty of highs and lows. Turns out, if someone were to ask me today how marriage is – I’d still be gushing.

boy clothes, boys, baby boy clothing, baby clothes, baby boy outfit, baby boy shoes, baby shoes

I’ve known for a long time that small things are just so cute. I wear a size 10 shoe, so I’m looking at you size 6 shoe wearers. But the cuteness factor in little boy clothes? Oh Lord, it just won’t quit.

cleanser, micellar water, facial cleanswer, beauty blog, beauty product, product review, beauty product review, sephora, facial cleanser, cleanswer

When I lived at home my room was really far away from the bathroom. This prompted me to change my face-washing routine to using wipes instead of going all the way downstairs and splashing water on my tired face and having it annoyingly drain down my arms.

I’ve since learned that using face wipes every night probably isn’t the best way to go. You don’t get as deep or thorough as a clean with them. So I save the luxury for once or twice a week when I know I’ll be coming off a long day.

I’m excited to report that I get to bump that schedule up a couple of nights with this new product. It’s called “micellar water” and it’s French. It’s water that has tiny oil molecules in it that attract dirt and makeup from off your face. So the oil pulls out the dirt, while the water stays behind to hydrate, giving you a deep clean without that dried-out feeling.

It’s wonderful to use in the morning too because it makes your face feel fresh and hydrated before applying makeup.

Here is the brand I use. Of course you can go way up or down in price, but after looking around I felt like this was the best option for the cost.

To use it, all you do is squirt some on a cotton pad (much better than a cotton ball, I found) and wipe your face like it’s toner. I’ll sometimes go over my face a second time just to get everything. Afterwards, you’ll have a really clean face, but really feel as if you cheated because it was so easy.

Give it a try this weekend!

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Where to Save and Splurge with Hair Products

I was going to start this by saying I could REALLY blow a budget when it comes to hair products, but then I thought about it for a second and realized, I could easily blow a lot of money on just about anything I put on my body…just ask my husband ;)

But just as there are ways to save and splurge with beauty products, there are strategic ways to spend when it comes to how you do your hair.

hair products, beauty blog, knoxville beauty blogger, straightener, hair dryer, hair spray, heat protectant spray, mousse, brush

Hair tools: Splurge

Because these are things you use on a regular basis and because they really play a big role in the health of your strands, it’s important to spend a little bit more to get quality hair tools.

A straightener especially can make a difference. The higher quality tools (like Chi) will have things in place to protect your hair (like real ceramic) and a way for you to see the temperature. You may think that’s just a luxury to see how hot your tool is, but it can be the difference from you frying off strands because you can see how hot you’ve gotten it.

A blow dryer is another good example. The good ones are high powered which means you spend less time underneath them = less chance of you doing any more heat damage to your hair.

And while this might be a surprise to you, a hair brush is another great tool to spend a little bit more on. This brush acts just like a straightener leaving your strands super soft and frizz free.

Let me point out, investing in great hair tools is money well spent because they’re going to last a long time and really make the investment worth it in the long run – especially in the life of your hair!

Speaking of saving…. Since you’ve bought some expensive tools, let’s save when it comes to certain hair products. Not all products are worth skimping on but these three are…

Hair products: Save {on certain ones}

Hair Spray – if you want to read all my thoughts on this spray, you can do so here. It works great, doesn’t leave your hair sticky and truly holds your style.

Heat Protectant spray – again, for a full review click here. I love the way it sprays and that it really coats my hair which is important with something that’s protecting your strands.

Mousse – honestly, Sauve is a favorite of mine. My biggest requirement for a mousse is to not leave my hair crunchy. I want it to control frizz and let my natural wave do its thaang. I’ve not tried a ton of expensive versions, but I have gone through all the drugstore possibilities and this one always comes out on top.

Now Sephora and Ulta are filled to the brim with hair products we can all easily splurge on, and I’m not saying never do that. But you can cut some corners with these three products which will allow you to spend a little more on others.

I hope this helps! It’s always good to have the peace of mind that you’re putting your money in the right place!

Watch yesterday’s segment to see where to save/splurge on beauty products!

 

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