Drugstore Makeup Look - Tutorial

My Drugstore Makeup Look

I finally filmed a makeup tutorial! I apologize for the not so high quality video; I just used my iPad. But not too bad for a first time.

This makeup look is very wearable with fairly neutral colors. It is also has nice skin coverage for acne and scaring.

Enjoy and tell me what you think!

Products Used (in order of appearance)

Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer

Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder Gel (I know it seems odd, but it is a great dupe for the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer but a lot cheaper!)

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in Buff

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer in Light 

Maybelline Age Instant Age Rewind Eraser in Brightener   

Revlon Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Transparent 

Elf Eye Primer and Line Sealer (I used the eye primer side)

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows in Bella Champagne, Bella Bronze, and Bella Ivory

Sephora Collection Smart Liner (This is the most non-drugstore product I used. A good drugstore dupe is Milani Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Eye Liner)

Makeup Geek Gel Liner in Immortal

Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit in Light

Milani Brow Shaping Clear Gel 

Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze 

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso 

Wet N Wild Fergie Center Stage Collection To Reflect Shimmer Palette in Rose Champagne Glow

Elf Makeup Mist and Set Spray 

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara in Blackest Black

NYX Megashine Lip Gloss in Salsa

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Jordan

The Godsend of Concealer - Glamoflauge Concealer Review

As someone who suffers from acne, scaring, and other skin imperfections, a concealer is a borderline necessity in my makeup collection. And I've been on the hunt for a FULL coverage concealer that doesn't cost a billion dollars for the past 6 years or so.

And I've finally found it.

Introducing: Glamoflauge Concealer from Wal-Mart

This concealer is designed to cover up anything from acne to tattoos. So I thought I’d test out that theory on my brightly colored lotus flower on my ankle

The following pictures have no filters or editing. 

My lotus flower tattoo! Ignore the dry spots...didn't want to moisturize and affect the concealer. 

After tracing and coloring it with the concealer pencil.

I do not use the pencil when I am concealing acne, but I thought I would follow the instructions to a T when covering up my tattoo.

Ignoring the fact that this is tanner than my leg and needs some ankle blending...pretty nice!

See? If my legs weren't so gosh darn pale it would be invisible! (I use the shade "Light", which matches my face much better than my leg.)

In my daily routine, I use this on top of foundation to cover the stubborn acne on my face.

You can find this at Wal-mart for only $6.00 or so! Not bad for the amazing coverage!

So if you’re looking for a full coverage concealer on a budget, look no further and run, don’t walk, to pick this bad boy up.

Love and Blessings, 

Annmarie Jordan

P.S. You might need to try Wal-Mart a few times to find this. It seems light it is almost always out of the shade I need. Apparently others have found my Holy Grail of concealer as well...

Influenster College VoxBox Review

I am a member at Influenster, which is a site that sends out complimentary items for people to try out, share their thoughts, and review. It has been a good experience and has exposed me to some incredible products!

So this time they sent me a Uni VoxBox, which was filled with all things college related! I'm going to give you the good, the bad, and whether I would repurchase each item. Let's get started!

Love the cute packaging!

1. imPress Press On Manicure
I was surprised at how much I liked these! I am used to the ghetto fake nails that have messy glue and pop off right away. These nails had a tab that you pulled of to expose the stickiness, and then you pressed them on and are good to go!

They are the perfect length for me!

The instructions said to file your nail bed a bit to help the nail adhere more. I did that to a few nails and it did help. The nails that popped off the soonest were the ones I did not file.
Overall, these are great for a special occasion. I would not where them everyday as they do not stick as well as acrylics and would need to be replaces fairly often. But for a wedding or special date, these are affordable and look amazing! I am contemplating buying another set just to feel pretty for finals week...(Don't judge!)
Repurchase: Yes, for special occasions.

Mmmmm tea :)

2. Red Rose Real Tea Premium Water Enhancer 
This was a lot tastier than I thought it would be! It works like many water enhancers, where you squeeze the bottle into a glass of water and can control how much flavor you'd like. It has a nice tea flavor that is on the sweet side (sweeter is always better for me!), is only 5 calories, and is very portable.
My only complaint is that I am not a huge fan of the ingredient sucralose, which is in many "diet" products. It's the way they keep the taste good while still keeping the calories low. While this will not be my tea of choice, as I'd rather sweeten my tea with sugar or stevia, I may keep it on hand when I'm feeling lazy and craving some tea.
Repurchase: Maybe if I'm feeling lazy...but most likely I'll just use this bottle up and be done.

They did their job...

3. Playtex Sport Fresh Balance
I won't go into too much detail about tampons on this blog, but I will say that I liked these and they did their job well. I would repurchase them if they weren't more expensive than my usual Tampax Pearl, but I did enjoy the scent and experienced no leaking.
Repurchase: If the price is right, then yes.
Okay, moving on...

Love and Blessings to my readers :)

4. Pilot Pen Acroball Pen
While I have to say I am not very particular with my pens, I did like this one. The grip was nice, it wrote smoothly, and left a nice and dark mark when I wrote. I've been getting my use out of this pen during the busy end of semester work I've been up to my eyeballs in!
Repurchase: No. It was a great pen, but I usually just buy the cheapest ones I can find.

Yay for full size lipstick!

5. NYC Expert Last Lipstick in Forever Fuchsia
 This lipstick really does last! I put it on before we cleaned our apartment (and this was right before my parents came, so you know I was doing some deep and busy cleaning!), and it did not fade after the end of the day! It goes on smoothly and is very pigmented.
Actually, a little too pigmented for this color on me...
Repurchase: Next time I need a new lipstick, I may try out this one in a different shade. 

A little much for my face...

But after blotting it a bit, it isn't too bad. I'm sure another color might be more flattering on my pale skin.

And lastly, my favorite product of this box...

This is the holy grail of drugstore foundation!

5. Revlon London Stay Matte Foundation
I am in love with this stuff! It is my new go-to foundation, and I thought I found my favorite drugstore foundation years ago! It is almost a mouse consistency, and is fairly full coverage. I apply it with a damp beauty blender sponge, and it comes out like this:

Left is before, right is after plus translucent powder and blush

I love how well it matches my skin tone, and how natural it looks with just the foundation and a little blush. I will definitely be repurchasing this one! My only complaint is how is accentuates my dry spots, but that is a problem with every foundation, so I digress.
Repurchase: Yes, yes, a billion times yes!

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Faye

Influenster VoxBox Review

This has been a longtime coming. The Influenster community sent me a box of various items to try out, share on social media, and review. And I finally feel like I have used each item enough to give an honest review.

1. Skinny Cow Divine Filled Chocolates
These were amazing! I've already bought two more boxes since I received the first one! I have a detailed review of them here, but let me tell you: run, don't walk, and buy a box of these bad boys!

2. Duckings Mini Roll
This was a cute roll of duct tape. It was nice to have it in a small size to keep in the junk drawer in our house And of course the cute pattern made it crafter-friendly.

3. NYC HD Eye-Shadow Trio
I was pleasantly surprised by this eye shadow. As someone who has 2 of the three Urban Decay Naked Palettes, I've become kind of an eye shadow snob. But this is a great palette that was travel-friendly. As long as you use an eye shadow primer, these shadows show up quite vibrantly. There are many different options for colors and I highly recommend this shadow for a bargain make-up shopper.

4. Puffs Tissues To-Go
This was such cute packaging! The tissues were the perfect mix between softness and sturdiness. And this is the perfect size to throw in your purse, car, pocket, etc.

5. Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer
I'm in love! This lip gloss (mine was in the shade Stargazer) was a great neutral color. It wasn't too sticky, added a shine that wasn't sickeningly sparkly, and smelled amazing! I want to try all the shades now! A great everyday lip gloss that everyone should buy!

So there you have it! While all of the products were good, I would be most likely repurchase the Skinny Cow Chocolates and the Rimmel London Lip Lacquer. Such a great box for a girl who loves chocolate AND make up!

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Faye

Disclosure: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

Ipsy December Glam Bag Review

I got an early Christmas present: my December Ipsy Glam Bag! This makeup addict was geeked to say the least.

The bag it came in was black and reminded me of the texture of those jelly sandals from the 90s. This will be good for travel because it will be durable. If something spills in the bag, it won't soak through to my other items in my suitcase. It was a cute, classy and neutral bag that I will be using often.

1. Salon Perfect Perfectly Natural Lash Strip

Ooo la la!

These lashes look very natural for a fake lash, which I like. It also comes with a little glue to apply the lashes. I have not tried them yet, but am saving them for the holidays to amp up my make up look.

2. POP Beauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio (Shade-Smokin Hot)

Sparkly!

I wanted to like these shadows so badly! The colors are amazing. What is more classic than a grey smokey eye? But they just aren't pigmented enough for me. As you can see, you really do not get a ton of color payoff. I will say I'm a make up addict and these would probably suffice for the average make up user. Also, it might be nice to use them for a daytime smokey eye so it looks less dramatic.

3. Mirabella Eye Blender

I loved this eye shadow brush! It is soft and fluffy, making it perfect for blending colors on the lid. I also might use it to blend concealer under my eyes because it is so soft and won't tug at the delicate skin. The handle is long, the brush is soft, and I have no complaints about this product.

4. J. Cat Beauty Big Lip Pencil (Shade-Red Rose)

Ignore the awful photo quality and lack of lipstick application skills

A swatch on my arm

This lip crayon is a gorgeous red color that is perfect for the holidays. It went on very smooth. Because it is technically a lip liner, it can be a little drying. But this is easily remedied by applying a lip gloss over top. Overall, this product is a winner for me. I might blot it a little more next time to soften the color, but it is a pretty red that can work on my fair skin.

5. Be a Bombshell The One Stick (Shade-Sunset)

Used as a blush and lipstick

Swatched on my arm

This was my favorite product! I love that it can be applied as a lipstick, blush and a eyeshadow! It is a beautiful sunset-orange color with just a hint of sparkle. This is great for travel because it is three products in one. It did not leave my cheeks shiny and did not dry out my lips. I have not tried it as an eyeshadow yet. This product is my favorite out of the Glam Bag this month!

Click here to join me on Ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You take a quiz about your make up style, hair and skin coloring, and you get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. What a affordable way to get your girlie-fix on and try out some products you might not normally have tried!

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Jordan

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes. It sounds about as fun as flossing. But just like flossing, it is so important to do. Not only do clean brushes appply makeup better, but dirty and gross brushes can cause acne. And acne is not fun.

I'll admit, I don't wash them as often as I should. My goal is to do it every two weeks....but I haven't washed mine since we got married...in June...ew.

So while the man was in Atlanta on business, I thought it was as good a time as ever to clean those bad boys.

1. Take your makeup brush.

This is my blush brush that gets used almost every day.

2. Put a folded paper towel on a plate and pour some olive oil on it.

I know olive oil seems strange, but trust me. 

3. Swirl your brush in the oil. It will suck all of the leftover makeup off of the brushes.

This is after swirling just one brush.

4. Fill a glass with warm water and dish detergent and place the brush in there.

5. Let the brush soak for a few minutes.

6. Run the brush under warm water and squeeze the bristles to get any excess water out.

7. Lay the brush on an old towel to dry.

And voila! Clean brushes! It is kind of a pain (especially when you have a billion brushes like me...) but it truly does make a difference in applying your make-up.

Love and Blessings,

Annmarie Faye

Ipsy November 2013 Bag

Last month I signed up for Ipsy. For those of you who don't know, it is a subscription service. First you take a quiz about your skin and eye colors, make-up taste, and beauty needs. Then you pay $10 a month, and receive 4-5 beauty and make-up products every month. Each box comes with a cute little make-up bag as well. 

For this make-up junkie, Ipsy is the perfect way to get my fix on without blowing through a ton of money. 

In my November bag (which was cute, cold, and shiny!), I received 6 items! In the future I will take pictures of each item separately, as well as pictures of the items being used. But for now, this lazy girl will just tell you what she thinks about each product. 

BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Sample

This was a gorgeous golden color that went on smooth and was very pigmented. It was the only sample sized product I got, and even so, it was a much bigger sample than I was expecting. Although I have a few other gold colors that are similar, it will be a nice color to take if I have little space for my whole make-up collection.

Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil

This purple pencil is a dream! I love purple anything, and it went on very smoothly. It was a little lighter than I prefer, but a nice way to add a subtle purple to your eyes. 

Pixi Beauty Bronzer

I am in love with this bronzer! It is a little dark for some people with my skin tone, but since I love a dramatic contour under my cheek bones, it was perfect! I might actually buy this next time I run out of bronzer (which should be awhile because this was a full sized bronzer!)

Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer

This light champagne pink was a gorgeous color for my nails! And I am proud to say that I have had it on for 5 days with little chipping. I usually have awful chipping after a few days, so almost a week with minimal chipping is a success for me!

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon

I so badly wanted to like this product. And I do like how it goes on. But I do not like the shade. It is a medium wine color, which I do not think is very flattering on me. It might just be a preference thing. I think I would have liked this a lot more if it was more red or pink as it was very moisturizing and pigmented. 

Em Michelle Phan Lash Gallery Mascara

This was my most disappointing product. The mascara was fine, but nothing special. I will keep using my drugstore mascara for sure. 

Most of the products I adored! And for only $10 a month, it's a pretty cheap way to get my make-up fix. I get to try new products and feel much better not liking one or two if I have a few others that work great for me!

If anyone is interested in signing up, click here. It does take a little bit to receive a bag after you sign up as there is a waiting list (you are only charged once you are off the waiting list and receiving your monthly bag). It makes a nice little treat to look forward to. Why not get yourself a little Christmas gift? 

Love and Blessings, 

Annmarie Jordan