Beauty Review: Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation

Hello, everyone and welcome to today's blog post. If you're like me then you're constantly looking for a foundation that not only covers well but makes your skin look flawless and fresh. Basically, you're looking for a miracle in a tube. And while there are hundreds of foundations out there to choose from I chose the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation to test out and boy, was I glad I did.

This foundation has become my new favorite. If you have oily skin and you need coverage that's not only matte but oil-controlling definitely give this foundation a try. According to the Urban Decay web site it comes in 24 shades, is waterproof, and paraben-free to help blur flaws and absorb shine. Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. This foundation actually does what it claims to do on the box. 

I thought the packaging was really pretty. The box and the container the product come in share the same gunmetal, metallic look with lines that cross the front. You get 30.0 ml / 1.0 fl oz in each bottle, which is more than I've seen with other foundations on the market. The bottle also comes with a pump which makes it easier to get the product out. Plus, this foundation is so full-coverage that a little goes a long way. A couple pumps should cover your face completely and once it's dry it leaves a flawless, powdery finish.

The only thing I'd caution you about is that the formula does oxidize some, meaning it'll become a shade darker once it's been applied. So when buying this pick a color that's a shade lighter than your skin so it doesn't oxidize too dark later. I know it might feel weird to pick a foundation shade that look lighter than your skin but trust me, once you've applied it, it'll even out. Plus, it doesn't transfer or start flake off after hours of wear.

I found this foundation to wear nicely on my skin and I was surprised to find that it actually stayed looking nice for several hours. Here's a pic of how it looked when I first apply in the morning >>>>

As you can see it gives the complexion a soft finish that amazingly stays with you throughout the day. The next pic was taken after 10 hours of wear. I wore it all day at work and even went to the gym and was shocked to see how well it stayed on after all that.

So, all in all, this foundation is definitely one worth purchasing. Urban Decay has outdone themselves with this one and I would recommend it to anyone with oily skin problems. A great foundation to add to any cosmetic collection.

So what foundation is your go-to? I'm always looking for a new one to try so feel free to let me know in the comments.

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Nellie



My Nighttime Skincare Routine

 



Ok, so when it comes to skincare I'll be honest - when I find a routine I like I tend to stick to it - so much that I have to force myself to venture out and use new products. But the way I see it, if it's not broke then don't fix it.

 

In this post I'm going to show you the Nighttime Skincare Routine I've been using for a few months now. The products I use are all affordable and have been my ride or die skincare necessities for years. And while I've tried other products these are the ones I always come back to. I tried to put the products in the order I use them.

 

So grab a comfy seat, a cold drink (or a hot one), and let's jump right in >>>>

 



 

I have oily skin so exfoliation is a must for me, but I usually have trouble finding an exfoliator that's not too harsh on my skin. Out of all the exfoliators I've tried - from high end to drugstore - Olay Luminous Brightening Cream Cleanser has worked the best for me. It has these tiny, little beads that breakdown in your skin and help to not only exfoliate but moisturize.

 

I squirt a little bit in my palm and then run a little water over it. Once the product is damp, I warm it up with my fingertips and then rub into my skin. It lathers just enough to break down the makeup on my face, helping to ready my face for the next product - cleanser.

 



 



A good cleanser is key for any skincare routine. And while there are hundreds of cleansers out there the Olay Total Effects 7 Revitalizing Foaming Cleanser has been my go-to one for years. According to the Olay website this cleanser offers 7 benefits in 1 (hence the name). It promises to clean deep, rejuvenate skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, refine the appearance of pores, replenish moisture, enhance brightness, and soften skin. And while I'm not really sure it does all of those things I can say that it leaves my face feeling baby soft and thoroughly clean.

I apply just a little bit to my face and trust me, a little bit goes a long way with this stuff. I've been using the same bottle for about 6 months.

 

 

When it comes to makeup removers I've found out that you have to be careful. If one has too much alcohol it can really irritate your skin. But the Rimmel London Just Let It Go Makeup Remover has just the right amount of gentleness to it that it doesn't burn or sting your skin in the least. I use this with cotton swabs and it washes away my waterproof eye liner and mascara like a dream.

 

It's never too early to start using anti-aging products. I mean, I'm all for getting older but I'm not so much on looking older. So after all my makeup is gone and my face has been exfoliated and moisturized I apply the Olay Age Defying Classic Night Cream all over my face - from my T-zone to my cheeks, forehead, chin, and neck. Some people might not know this but it's really important for you to apply your night cream (as well as your day cream) to your neck because it's one of the first things to show signs of aging. So always remember to show your neck some love too.



 

 

ALL CLEAN!

 



 

After my face is all nice and clean again I'm ready for bed and I can rest easy knowing that my skin will rejuvenate through the night and be ready for the next day.

 

So now that you've seen which products I reach for, which ones do you love? I'm always looking for new products to try out so let me know in the comments.

 

Until next time . . .

 

XOXO,

 

Nellie

 

 

 

 

My Top NYX Cosmetics Picks

NYX is a brand I find myself turning to over and over again for my affordable makeup need. Not only is it good for the wallet it actually offers really good products. But just like any brand I've learned that there's good products and not-so-good products. Let's focus on the positive today, shall we?

Today's post is going to be quick list of the Top Products I Like from NYX. So find a comfy seat and let's get into the list >>>>>

***Disclaimer: The product prices mentioned in this post are the product prices featured on the NYX website as of today.

1. NYX Professional Makeup Eye Shadow Base - $7.00

This stuff is my holy grail eye primer when I don't feel like using my Mac Painterly Paint Pot. Honestly, I find that it works just as good as the Paint Pot but for a much more affordable price. NYX offers it in four colors - Skin Tone, White, White Pearl, and Black. While the white would likely work well in brightening up your eye shadow, the Skin Tone one works best for every day wear. Just pat it coat of it on your lid before you apply your eye shadow and viola! Creaseless eye makeup all day.

 

2. NYX Professional Makeup Jumbo Eye Pencil - $3.50 - $4.50

 

Ever wonder how you can make your eye shadow look brighter or darker? Try laying down a Jumbo Eye Pencil first. NYX offers a variety of colors (24 currently) but my favorite ones are Milk and Black Bean. But I must warn you: don't pack so much of the color on your lids while applying - the formula is a little greasy and they tend to crease if too much is applied. I usually just draw some of the product on my lid and then pat it out with my ring finger.

 

3. NYX Professional Makeup Face & Body Glitter - $6.50

 

Glitter is a girl's best friend. Simple as that. And if you're looking for cosmetic glitter that's easy to use, finely-milled, and in a variety of shades definitely check out the NYX Face and Body Glitters. These little bad boys come in plastic tubes that are not only makeup bag friendly but easy to store. I've used these glitters countless times and I'm still impressed at well they work. But I found out that they work best with my next product on this list . . .

 

4. NYX Professional Makeup Glitter Glue - $6.50

 

 

If you want your eye/body glitter to stay on all night you've got to apply some glitter glue. And NYX's is the best on the drugstore market in my opinion. It's easy to use and I love the long-tipped tube it comes in. A definite cosmetic must for any collection.

 

5. NYX Professional High Definition Finishing Powder - $10.00

 

NYX's HD Finishing Powders are best used in small doses. I've made the mistake more than once of having a heavy-hand with this powder and trust me, it will make you look like Caspar the Friendly Ghost. But I learned that it works best when applied lightly. I mostly use it to set my eye shadow base and my under eye concealer and I've hit pan on this product not once but twice. It currently comes in three colors - Translucent, Banana, and Mint Green. So all in all, a decent setting powder from the drugstore.

 

6. NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner - $4.00

 

 

 

 

The NYX lip liners go two-to-two with even high-end lip liners. They're super creamy and they come in 36 shades. No matter what lip look you're going for NYX has got you covered. The formula is some of the best on the market and what makes them even more amazing is the price. $4.00? You can't beat that.

 

7. NYX Professional Makeup Slide On Pencil - $8.00

 

 

 

A good eyeliner is hard to find but thankfully NYX gives us a wonderful option for a wonderful price. Their Slide On Pencil actually live up to their name by sliding onto your water line like a dream. They stay put through the day and don't bleed down your eye. Plus the formula is so creamy and smooth it rivals even some of the high-end liners I've tried. They offer 16 shades that are so worth trying.

 

8. NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil - $10.00

 

For me, filling in my brows is a must. And I've learned the hard way that not all brow products are created equally. But the NYX Micro Brow Pencils are some of my faves. Right now they offer 8 colors ranging from Blonde to Black and everything in between. The spoolie that comes with each pencil is actually very good quality and the fine-point pencil tip is perfect for getting in between those tiny brow hairs. A drugstore must-have for any makeup lover.

If You Liked Downton Abbey then You'll Love This . . .

Hello, everyone and welcome to today's post. Out of all of the television shows I've seen none of them have touched my heart like "Downton Abbey." My mom and I LOVED this show. Every Sunday, we couldn't wait to gather around the TV and catch the latest episode. So you can imagine that we were beyond devastated when the show came to an end in December 2015 . . . .

But out of the blue something amazing happened - I was introduced to Doctor Thorne - and suddenly, my TV spirits were lifted.

Doctor Thorne is a television show based on the Anthony Trollope novel by the same name. Set in the 1850s it's further back in history than Downton Abbey but it captures your heart just the same. Julian Fellowes wrote the script so of course you get the same smart, sophisticated dialogue as Downton but with different characters delivering it.

Basically, the story centers around Dr. Thorne and his niece, Mary, as well as the wealthy (but sometimes snooty) Gresham family. The Greshams are close to losing their fortune and are indebted to the drunken Sir Roger Scatcherd much to their dismay. Lady Arabella Gresham decides that she will save the family by marrying her son, Frank, off to a wealthy, American heiress named Miss Dunstable, only to have her plans thwarted when she learns that her son is in love with Mary - a lowly doctor's niece. So little time, so much drama. I loved every minute.

As it turns out this story is much more than what meets the surface. There's mystery and intrigue and a love triangle. But even more there's heart. Yes, the faintest whispers of Downton Abbey can be heard throughout the show but I truly feel that even if you didn't like Downton you can appreciate this show.

You'll see a familiar face in Phoebe Nicholls, who also played in Downton Abbey as Rose's mother, Susan, which helps tie in this show with Downton.

 So if you're still mourning over Downton Abbey's cancellation or you're just looking for an awesome British drama to indulge in check out Doctor Thorne. You can stream on Amazon Prime or buy it on DVD.  Either way this show will not disappoint.

Until next time ...

XOXO,

Nellie

My Top 3 Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks

Liquid Lipsticks are definitely not a new thing. Yes, they've been around for a while but I've learned that not all liquid lipsticks are created equally. This is a lesson I've learned the hard way. Fortunately, I was introduced to Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks last spring when I was searching for the perfect lipstick for my wedding. Just one swipe and my lipstick game was never the same.

I wanted to take the time to share my Top 3 Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Picks. You never know, they just might become some of your favorite shades too.

Let's jump in >>>>

As you can see my collection of Kat Von D lipsticks is kind of small now but I can assure you these three colors have been go-to shades for the past year (except for Lovecraft, which has become my go-to shade recently). She offers 44 colors in her liquid lipstick line ranging from subtle nudes to fluorescent blue, so you don't have to worry about not finding the right shade for you. And while all of the colors are beautiful my top three shades so far are: Double Dare, Mother, and Lovecraft.

The first two colors - Double Dare and Mother - have a special place in my heart because I wore them both on my wedding day. But nowadays I wear Double Dare more in the spring and summer time because it gives my lips a nice fuchsia shade. Mother is definitely go-to for the fall and winter time because it's more of a soft, rusty color that reminds of colder weather. And as for Lovecraft - this has quickly become my holy grail nude. It compliments my skin tone without washing me out so it's a definite must.

Also, the formula of these are amazing. They're not too sticky or too dry. They wears nicely on the lips for several hours and stay on even after drinking and eating. They don't flake off your lips but gently fade into more a stain than a lipstick by the end of the day. Plus, they don't come off or bleed from the lip line. All in all, these lipsticks are the business.

So if you're in need of a long-wearing lipstick or just looking for high-end lip product to try definitely check out Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. You won't be sorry.

So now that you know my favorites it's time to share yours. Feel free to let me know in the comments.

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Nellie 

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette Neapolitan Look

 

NEOPOLITAN EYE LOOK TUTORIAL

 

When it comes to makeup I like to get ideas from other places than just YouTube sometimes. I mean, there's tons of inspiration everywhere - even from food. This eye look I'm going to show you was inspired by Neapolitan ice cream and I came up with it using my Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette.

This look is easy to do and it gave me the opportunity to play around with the palette (which I must say blends like a dream).

So grab a cup of coffee and a comfortable seat. Let's jump in the tutorial >>>>>

Step 1

I started by priming my lids with concealer and then laying down a Revlon ColorStay Creme Shadow in Honey as a base. I find that doing this gives the eye shadow something to cling to and makes it last longer through the day.

Then with a fluffy, blending brush (the Sigma E25) I blended the colors Georgia and Peaches N' Cream into the crease. These colors are the perfect transition shades because they're some of the lightest in the palette. Once I got that blended in nicely I went onto to step two >>>> 

Step 2
 

What I've found is that the more lighter shadows you blend into the crease the better because it makes a nice transition for darker colors used later. On the same Sigma E25 brush I then blended a mix of the colors Puree and Summer Yum into the crease.

Then it was on to the dark and peachy colors >>>>>

Step 3
 

Switching to a tapered blending brush (Morphe M433) I patted and blended the color Charmed, I'm Sure in the outer V and slightly in the outer crease. Doing this will make your eye look slightly bigger in the end. The outer V was going to be the "chocolate" part of this look.

Step 4

 

I then took a flat, stiff brush (MAC 239), dipped into the colors Candied Peach and Just Peachy, and patted them on the center of the lid. This took a little time to build up the peachy-pink color. Also, I made to sure to blend the pink into the brown so that there was a nice gradation of brown to pink - chocolate to strawberry.  












Step 5

 

Next, I add a mix of Nectar and Luscious to my inner corner - these two colors combined make a creamy vanilla color.















Step 6

 

For the lower lash line I used a pencil brush (Morphe M431) to add Charmed, I'm Sure to the outer part of the lower lash line. Then using the same brush I swiped the only green color in the palette - Bless Her Heart - into the inner crease toward the brown. I wanted to add a little color to the lower lash line which is why I went for the green. But to make that green really pop I also added Makeup Geek's Jester. Jester is a green foiled shadow so it gave the green a little sparkle effect.

Step 7

Last but not least I added some brown gel liner to the waterline and applied my favorite black gel liner (L'Oreal's Infalliable Gel Liner in Blackest Black) to the top lid for my wing. And presto! All done!

This was the finished look. I actually wore it to church that day. Oh, and in case you're wondering that's the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovecraft from my Mini Sephora Haul post. I thought it complimented the peachy shadows nicely.

5 Reasons to Love "The Greatest Showman"

Nothing brightens my day more than going to see a good movie. To me a good movie can take me away, make me forget my problems, and put a smile on my face. So as you can imagine I do a lot of research before Denis (my husband) and I go to the movies. When there's a movie we want to see I'll Google everything I can about it - from the actors' bios to the directors' information to where the movie was shot - just to see if it's something we'd actually want to pay money for to watch.

Well, on Christmas night Denis and I headed to the movies and for the first time in forever I hadn't researched any of the films that were showing. So, on a whim, we got tickets to "The Greatest Showman" (completely unaware of what it was about) and history was made . . . 

As soon as the lights went down and the previews were done the first song - "The Greatest Show" came on and we were hooked for the rest of the time. For those of you who don't know it's loosely based on P. T. Barnum - one of the founders of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Hugh Jackman plays P.T. and we get to see his rise to fame and fortune, his crashing and burning (literally), and then his rise out of the ashes as he realizes that everything he really needed had been in front of him the whole time.   

But just in case you haven't seen it (which most of you likely have by now), I came up with a quick list of 5 Reasons to Love "The Greatest Showman."

Enjoy >>>>>

5. It Has Awesome Dance Numbers

Who doesn't love an awesome dance number? I know I sure do and this movie didn't disappoint. From the opening number to the more serious ones there was a dance to match.

My absolute favorite one was the "Rewrite the Stars" number with Zac Efron and Zendaya. I mean they literally flew across the room hanging from the ceiling. But to be fair that was more acrobatics than dancing. But I don't even care because I enjoyed it anyway and who knew Hugh Jackman was so light on his feet?

4. The Costumes Were Gorgeous

Gorgeous costumes are a must for any good movie. And just because this movie was supposed to be set in the late 1800s doesn't mean that the costumes had to be drab. The costumer designer(s) on this film brought life into the costumes by using bright colors and beautiful fabrics for the Barnum family and circus performers.

3. The Soundtrack is the Business

Click this link to hear the entire soundtrack >>

Can I just say that the music on this movie was incredible? Denis and I were both surprised to find out that this movie was a musical - and we were even more surprised when we found out that we actually liked all the songs. This soundtrack makes me smile. I honestly can say that this was one of the best original musicals I've seen in a long time. Our favorite song is "A Million Dreams." It's just the best. Feel free to click the box below and listen to it on YouTube. 



2. Zac Efron Was In It

Who cares if Zac Efron was in it, you may say. It's just Zac Efron. But need I remind you that High School Musical was one the main reasons our society fell in love with Zac in the first place. Also, this was his first musical since Hairspray and I don't know why but there's just something undeniably likeable about Zac Efron singing and dancing across the silver screen.

1. It Emphasized Self-Acceptance & Acceptance of Others Which is Never A Bad Thing

Keala Settle (she played the Bearded Lady) brought the house down when she sang "This is Me" because she reminded audiences everywhere that we should never be ashamed of who we are. (You can follow her on Twitter here.) Honestly, I feel like there's not enough shows and movies that endorse self-acceptance and the acceptance of others - but this movie definitely did.

Watching this film I was reminded that every single person is beautiful and unique in their own way and they have wonderful things to bring to the table because they have a different point of view. And that we shouldn't look down on people just because they're different than us. We should appreciate them.

All in all this movie was amazing - definitely one of the best I'd seen in 2017 - and Denis and I can't wait to buy it when it comes out on Blu-Ray later this year. So, if you're looking for a movie that'll keep you singing, make you want to dance, and brighten your day definitely check out the "The Greatest Showman." You'll be glad you did.

Until next time . . .

XOXO,

Nellie