Current Beauty Favorites + Mini Reviews

Face Products

 IT Cosmetics CC + Cream Illumination SPF 50+

(My Shade: Medium)

I recently finished up my CoverGirl BB cream (will post a review later) and wanted to pick up another foundation within the lines of a BB or CC cream. During school and work days I rarely wear heavy foundation due to the humidity of Florida and the dryness of my skin (I know this sounds odd). I find that BB and CC creams provide just enough coverage for day to day use without that heavy feeling that foundation has. 

IT Cosmetics has some of the best CC creams, They have the coverage of a liquid foundation but feel like a feather has touched your skin. They are also incredibly easy to blend (I prefer to use a beauty blender sponge with this). The Illumination is the newest in their collection and what makes it different from their original formula is that this one adds a little glow to your skin as well as some hydration. It lasts very well and I have not had any trouble with it caking on my face. 

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish

in the shade Medium Plus

This is an oldie but a goodie. I was cleaning out my makeup (much needed) and found that I had some backups still in their packaging (#lifeofamakeupaddict). I remember loving and using this powder religiously in high school. It not only sets my makeup but gives it a natural finish to my skin (not too matte but still controls any shiny problem areas). Plus it also adds a little extra coverage. Sometimes I just wear concealer and this powder alone without any foundation. 

Lip Products

Bare Minerals Gen Nude Under Over Lip Liner 

in the shade On Point

I have never been a huge fan of lip liner until I found this product. For a pencil lip liner I was shocked at how creamy and smooth it is. It glided on my lips so effortlessly. The color is also pretty great. There are 5 colors in this collection and out of all of them On Point is my favorite. It is a nude terracotta with some pink undertones. I actually like to wear it all on its own. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was how difficult it was to sharpen. If you are not careful it will melt down inside the sharpener. I suggest putting it into the freezer for a little bit before sharpening. 

Milani Color Statement Lipstick

in the shade Naturally Chic

This has been my go 2 nude lip color for the past 2 months. The lipstick itself is creamy and feels nice on the lips. It doesn't over dry or flake. I find that you can wear this with or without a lip liner underneath. 

REVIEW: Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue (NEW)

BARE MINERALS COMPLEXION RESCUE TINTED HYDRATING GEL CREAM

PACKAGING:

- Comes in a light bronze tube

-Available in 10 shades

Sold at Bare Minerals shops and online as well as Sephoras & Ultas

Retail $29.00

FORMULATION: 

Complexion Rescue is a combination of a BB cream, CC cream AND a tinted moisturizer all in one. I was fairly surprised at how much I loved this product. Over the years I have not been a huge fan of Bare Minerals' foundations. There was something about them that never looked 100% right on my skin. This foundation however I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! It is very hydrating and feels very light on the skin. The texture is a gel like consistency which makes for easy application and blending. 

It wears on skin for quite a long time especially with a primer underneath. The coverage is pretty great and adjustable to your preference. Layer as much or little as you like. The finish is a natural glow within look, not too matte or too shiny. It also contains SPF 30!!!

GREAT FOR ALL SKIN TYPES

This is a great grab and go product. You can use your fingers for application so no need to fuss with so many brushes in the morning. It is also a one step product meaning you don't have to layer your moisturizer, SPF and foundation just put this on clean skin and you are good to go! 

OVERALL 5/5

NEW @ CVS! MUA BB/CC Cream Brush

MUA BB/CC CREAM BRUSH

Recently released at CVS stores nationwide, MUA offers high quality cosmetic brushes for an affordable price. The BB/CC Cream is a round top duo fiber synthetic foundation. This brush is amazing. It applies foundation so smooth and even and gives up an airbrush finish. The brush has just enough density to pick up enough product. The only issues I have with their face brushes especially this one is that the handles are very thick and big so they do add a bit of weight. Also they do have a shedding problem when you first open them and as always clean your brushes before use even new ones (the shedding does go away for this brush after use, I personally haven't had any problems)!

These brushes are found at CVS and price ranges from $10-$30. They aren't the cheapest brushes especially being a drugstore product but compared to say MAC brushes which ranges from $20 and up these brushes are a steal. They have the look and feel of expensive brushes just without the hefty price tags.

BB/CC Cream Brush $18.95

What's New @ The Drugstore: Revlon Age Defying Spring 2014 Collection (Foundation + CC Cream)

Right: Revlon Age Defying Firming + Lifting Makeup

Left: Revlon Age Defying CC Cream

REVLON AGE DEFYING FIRMING + LIFTING MAKEUP:

PACKAGING- Comes in a glass bottle with a plastic clear cap. The product dispenses through a pump which is not only convenient but also keeps germs out of the product itself. I am not a huge fan of glass bottles when it comes to foundation packaging. It breaks very easily and not very easy to travel with but compared to other foundations with glass packaging this one is fairly lighter. 

FORMULATION- A semi- thick formula that feels light on the skin. It blends easily and leaves a semi-matte finish. It gives a nice youthful glow to the skin. It has a SPF of 15. As for the anti-aging aspect I notice that this foundation did give me a bit of firming to the skin. But it is very gradual (I saw the difference after about 2 weeks of use) In terms of wear time this foundation lasted pretty well. I have dry skin and I wore it by itself with some powder and it lasted about 6-7 hours with no touch-up. However this can vary with different skin types and what type of powder you use.

The coverage is also very build able starting from light all the way up to a medium. The color selection compared to Revlon's other foundations isn't the biggest about 6. 

Overall I do think this is a pretty decent drugstore foundation. I personally didn't get this for the anti- aging aspect however it never hurts to start using products like these early on. This is a great everyday foundation

WHERE TO PURCHASE/PRICING-This foundation is part of Revlon's 2014 spring collection so right now it isn't the easiest foundation to find. The only place I have seen this at is  Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was $11.29 but they always mail 20% off coupons so you can get this foundation for a fairly decent price. 

REVLON AGE DEFYING CC CREAM:

PACKAGING- Comes in a plastic white squeeze tube with a red plastic cap. The product comes out through a small opening. Pretty decent packaging and easy to dispense the product. 

FORMULATION- Very similar to Revlon's Photo Ready BB cream except more moisturizing. CC creams are also known as Color Correcting (corrects redness, blue tones etc..). It is a very popular product in Asian beauty. However western CC creams like this one are not exactly very comparable to the Asian ones. This CC cream is a lot sheerer than the Photo Ready BB cream in terms of texture and pigmentation. It offers a very light to light medium coverage very much like a tinted moisturizer. Although it doesn't offer much coverage it does color correct very well. I have a lot of redness on my cheeks and this covers it up very nicely. It also contains a SPF of 30 which is considered very high in terms of foundations at the drugstores. The great thing about the SPF in this product is that unlike some CC Creams the SPF in this does not separate making the product itself very liquidity. The wear time with this by itself is iffy for me I have dry skin and this product lasts 3-4 hours with powder but if you wear it with a primer underneath you can extend the wear time. This product is great for those of you out there who want a nice light natural coverage for everyday foundation where. It also works really well as a primer underneath your foundation. This product has a total of 4 shades. Not the biggest selection of colors but CC Creams are not meant to have lots of color selection. 

WHERE TO PURCHASE/PRICING: Like the foundation mentioned above the only place to purchase this would be at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It is $9.99.