What's in My Gym Makeup Bag

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Most Loved 5 of November 2013

November, to me, was a month all about getting ready quickly and making my makeup last all day. Here are a few products that have helped me through the holiday shopping season, working in retail.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Cream Ivory
I love its full coverage because I can cover up lots of imperfections and be done with my base in less than 2 minutes. It feels very light on the skin because a little goes a long way. The consistency reminds me of BB creams. It feels like a thick whipped cream. It dries fairly fast so I have to work quickly with it. The finish is satin matte, which is similar to the texture of bare skin. I love that I don't have to set it with a powder, but if I want to, I still can without making my face look dry or cakey.
Cream Ivory is a little too light for me (MAC NC20/25) but the next shade is too dark. I mix it with my Bourjois BB Bronzing Primer.

NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo in Deep Throat & Laguna
This duo has been featured in a previous Most Loved and in Best Travel Makeup Products. I've also written a review for it. It's not a perfect product in terms of pigmentation and texture. The colors are not all that special, either. But it's great for being fool-proof and versatile. You just can't ever mess up your makeup with this duo, even if you try to!

Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel in Espresso
I bought this purely for quick makeup. At first I thought it did nothing for me since I already have pretty full brows. But then I started to like the subtle changes it brings. My brows look just a bit more groomed, a little darker and a bit more even. It's all done in seconds and will last till you take it off.

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Getaway Red
I swatched it at Sephora and tried so hard to remove the stain but it didn't budge at all so I thought it would stain my cheeks terribly. But then I thought it would be great as a lip stain and that's what I've been using it for. It's feels light but not watery. It doesn't dry out my lips but it doesn't really moisture them, either. But it lasts very well on the lips. You can apply just a little for a natural look or layer it up for full on red lips. It's also great as a base under red lipsticks or lip glosses. I use a concealer or a lipstick brush to apply. Do not use your fingers! It will stain, I guarantee you.

Estee Lauder Nutritious Radiant Vitality 2-in-1 Foam Cleanser
After trying out cleansing milk, I decided to go back to foaming cleansers because my skin was feeling very clogged. This cleanser is great because it still makes your skin feel clean but it doesn't make it feel too dry. The foam is pretty thick and creamy. It rinses off very easily. It's scented and I can't describe it but it's pleasant.

Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk

$22     6.75 oz / 200 ml

Ingredients: Organic Juices Of Vitis Vinifera (organic White Grape Juice)*, Rubus Idaeus (organic Red Raspberry Juice)*, Aloe Barbadensis (organic Aloe Juice)*, Vegetable Glycerin, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Organic Plant Oils Of Carthamus Tinctorius (organic Safflower Seed Oil)*, Helianthus Annuus (organic Sunflower Seed Oil)*, Sesamum Indicum (organic Sesame Seed Oil)*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (sweet Almond Oil)*, Vitis Vinifera (grape Seed Oil), Cetearyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Vegetable Squalene, Botanical Extracts Of Calendula Officinalis (marigold Flower Extract), Chamomilla Recutita (chamomile Extract), Tilia Cordata (linden Flower Extract), Boswellia Carterii (frankincense Extract), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (organic Sweet Orange & Sweet Neroli)*, Chamomilla Recutita (chamomile) And Boswellia Carterii (organic Frankincense) Pure Essential Oils (*certified Organic By A USDA Approved Agency)

Availability: Dermstore.com, Ulta

After reading Caroline Hirons's blog, I decided to change my cleansing method completely. I love foaming products but they can be very drying and damaging to the skin. So I thought I would give this cleansing milk a try.

This cleansing milk comes out like a lotion. I use it as my second cleanse because it's not strong enough to take off my makeup. After I've taken my makeup with cleansing oil/balm, I use one pump of the cleansing milk and gently massage it all over my face (dry). I would then rinse it off with water.

It's pretty easy to rinse off. It doesn't leave residues and doesn't leave the skin tight and dry, either. However, I did notice that my face was getting a little bit clogged up. I started to have occasional breakouts. I don't think it's an allergic reaction. My skin just isn't getting cleansed as deeply as it used to be.

Overall, I think it's a great product if you have very dry skin because your skin probably don't produce much excess sebum that clogs the pores anyways. So this cleanser would be great because it doesn't strip the natural moisture off of your skin. My skin is dehydrated but it's also combination. I found that while it probably didn't clog my pores, it didn't help decelerate the clogging. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with normal, combination, or oily skin type. But I can see it as a great fit for very dry skin.

Worth the Hype? Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

$39     2.5 oz / 75 ml

Ingredients: Aqua (water), Leptospermum scoparium mel (manuka honey), Persea gratissima (avocado oil), Glycerine (vegetable), Cetearyl alcohol, Stearic acid (coconut derived), Glycerol stearate (coconut derived), Tocopherol acetate (Vitamin E), Vanilla planifolia (vanilla oil), Citrus reticulate (mandarin oil), Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Daucus carota sativa (carrot oil), Pohutuakawa (metrosideros excelsa) extract, Citrus grandis (grapefruit seed extract), Iodopropynyl butylcarbarnate

Availability: Antipodes, Feelunique

Antipodes is a brand that doesn't really get mentioned in US beauty community but has been hyped in many other places. I thought I would give this mask a try since so many UK gurus rave about it.

The consistency is like a lotion. It goes on sort of thin, which isn't something I'm used to for a face mask. I apply a pretty generous amount just to make sure my whole face is covered. It has a very pleasant scent. It's a warmer scent (honey & vanilla) but it's by no means a sickly sweet scent. It's very soothing.

I normally ignore the warning "avoid the area around the eyes," but for this I do have to avoid putting it around the eyes because it would burn my eyes really bad. I have pretty sensitive skin so it does tingle a little when I first put it on but it goes away in a few seconds. The direction says leave it on for 15 minutes. I can leave it on for longer than that, normally 20-30 minutes. The lotion will dry a little but not completely dry.

Before I take it off I gently massage my face a little and then rinse it off. It's very easy to rinse off and doesn't leave any residues. It's supposed to deeply moisturize, cleanse, and anti-oxidize. It's not as moisturizing as something with hyaluronic acid but it does make my skin very soft and comfortable. I can't really say anything about the cleansing property because I haven't noticed any changes in my pores but I don't think it's intended to be used as a pore unclogging mask.

Overall, I like this mask, but it's not a holy grail. I like how my skin feels afterwards. I also like the experience because of the soothing scent and the slight tingle at the beginning. It's a good mask and I'll recommend it if you're looking for a good experiential/ feel-good product. In terms of actual impact on the skin, I have other masks that work better on my skin. So in short, it's a good product, but not good enough for me to hype about it.

Wet n' Wild Knock On Wood Eyeshadow Trio

$2.99     0.12 oz / 3.5 g

Ingredients: Talc, Dimethicone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Nylon 12, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Boron Nitride, Silica, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Polyethylene, Tin Oxide, May Contain (+/-):, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Aluminum Powder (CI 77000), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Carmine (CI 75470), Black 2 (CI 77266), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77289)

Availability: drugstores, Drugstore.com

Colors & Finishes
Knock On Wood Trio contains a shimmery pale pink, a satin brown, and a shimmery plum. The colors really compliment each other. I was a little on the fence about the pale pink shade but it actually looks really nice dabbed in the center of the lids on top of the shimmery plum color to add some dimension. The plum is gorgeous as an all over lid color. The satin brown is perfect for the crease.

Formula & Pigmentation

All three shades are very soft, buttery and insanely pigmented. They're really easy to blend. The only little complaint is that the brown is too buttery and pigmented for my liking as a crease color. It's easy to get too intense with it. But overall the formula and pigmentation is easy to work with.

How I Use It
I use this trio pretty much the way it's intended to except that I don't put the pink shade on my brow bones. I put plum all over the lids, dab pink in the center, put brown on the crease and blend it out. It's very wearable and the colors go very well together.

Overall, I'm really impressed with this trio. I love that I can use all three shades in the same look. The formula and pigmentation are excellent. It's also very versatile. You can go super dramatic with it for a smokey eye. You can also use a light hand for a more natural look. I would highly recommend it to everyone!

NARS And God Created the Woman Eyeshadow Set

$59     Eyeshadows 0.03 oz / 1 g x 6 | Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base 0.09 oz / 2.8 g

Ingredients: (Smudge Proof Base) Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Carbonate, Peg-40 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sera Alba (Beeswax), Phenoxyethanol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran Oil Extract), Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Castor Oil Phosphate, Sea Whip Extract, Mica, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77163 Bismuth Oxychloride)

Availability: eBay

This set came out a while back and was on my wishlist for the Sephora VIB sale. Unfortunately it's become unavailable recently. This is why I don't like to review limited edition products! But I'm sure there are some on eBay if you can get your hands on it for a reasonable price because I've been enjoying this palette a lot!

This palette has 6 shades that are in the permanent range, either from single shadows or palettes (duos, trios, etc).

Alhambra is a frosty champagne. It's a little pinker than MAC Ricepaper. The formula is very soft and buttery. It applies very smoothly. The pigmentation is good. Not super intense where it gives an instant metallic look, but color and finish are pretty noticeable with one sweep.

Bellissima is very cool light taupe, with a very slight hint of purple. It has matte finish. The formula and pigmentation are definitely lacking a little. It swatches a bit chalky and requires a few more swatches to get good pigmentation. It works better with a brush. I like it for a subtle crease color to create a natural everyday look. It's not the best formula but for me, works out perfectly for a natural crease color.

Kalahari is a shimmery bronze, not as frosty as Alhambra. It looks like if you mix MAC Woodwinked and Satin Taupe together. It's a very unique color. The formula is soft. It applies smoothly and blends out nicely. It's not as pigmented as Alhambra. It takes a few sweeps to get the frosty bronze. But that makes it a really versatile color. I actually really like it all over the lid with one or 2 sweeps just to give a little warmth for a natural look.

Galapagos is a satin brown with gold shimmer. It looks very shimmery in the pan but when swatched it's not nearly as shimmery as Kalahari. It definitely has a satin finish. The formula is not the best but not the worst in the palette. It applies smoothly but takes a little more effort to blend out. It's pretty pigmented. It's great for all over the lids or as a crease color.

Coconut Grove is a matte dark ashy brown. The formula is pretty chalky. It's hard to get an even swatch. The pigmentation is okay. The color and the formula combination makes it a really good brow powder for dark brows.

Night Clubbing took me by surprise. It's a matte black with gold shimmers. The shimmers are only noticeable under the lights. The formula is not as soft and buttery as Alhambra, but very good for a matte black shadow. It's also very pigmented. It would be great for a true smokey eye because the gold shimmers give a slight dimension to the matte black. I also love for lining my eyes.

Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is a clear eyeshadow primer. The product comes out white but when applied it's clear. I've already had a full size product of this. It's the best eyeshadow primer I've ever used. I have oily eyelids that even the Urban Decay ones can't keep my shadows from creasing, but this one does it! I highly highly highly recommend it!

Alhambra | Bellissima | Kalahari | Galapagos | Coconut Grove | Night Clubbing

Lids: Alhambra & Kalahari | Crease: Galapagos | Liner: Night Clubbing | Brows: Coconut Grove

Overall, I'm very pleased with the palette. The color combination is brilliant and so are the finishes. Even though the 2 matte shades (Bellissima & Coconut Grove) don't have the best formula, they turn out to work very well for where I need them. I probably won't have liked them as much if the formula was softer or pigmented. It just shows that it's not always the softer/ more buttery, the better.
I also love the versatility of this palette. I can create so many looks with just this one palette and it only has 6 shades in this little compact! Personally I think it's even better than taking a big o' Naked Palette.
I'm sorry that it's not widely available anymore. I literally just got it from Sephora online! But if you can get your hands on it somehow, I definitely recommend it!

Wet n Wild Fergie Center Stage Collection Eyeshadow Palette in A029 Desert Festival

$4.99     0.19 oz / 5.5 g

Ingredients: Talc, Ethyl Macadamiate, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitrate, Methicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Calcium Titanium Borosilicate, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Black 2/CI 77266, Blue 1 Lake/CI 42090, Carmine/CI 75470, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide/CI 77510, Ferric Ferrocyanide/CI 77510, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Maganese Violet/CI 77742, Mica, Red 40 Lake/CI 16035, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Ultramarines/CI 77007

Availability: CVS, Drugstore.com

Colors
This palette contains 5 shades: shimmery champagne, shimmery orange, matte orange, matte dark brown, and matte black with gold sparkles. The colors and finishes work nicely together. It's a great combination. You can easily great a look with all five shades.

Formula & Pigmentation
All the shades have very soft and buttery formula, except for the matte black with gold sparkles. The black goes on a little chalky. When applied the sparkles don't show up, making it perfect as an eyeliner shade.
All the shades are very pigmented, but easy to work with if you tap off the excess. They're also very easy to blend, except for the matte black shade.

How I wear It
I love this palette for a more dramatic look because the dark brown is a little darker than what I would normally put on the crease for a daily look. The matte orange shade is great for warming up cooler eyeshadows. I love the two lighter shimmery shades for everyday looks. The black shade is great as eyeliners. Here's the look I created using all 5 shades.

shimmery orange all over + matte orange at outer corner + shimmery champagne at center + matte brown at crease + black as liner

I love this palette. The overall quality would definitely be worth high end prices but it's only $4.99. I absolutely love the formula, pigmentation, colors, and finishes. It's very easy to use and versatile palette. I highly recommend it!