The Self-Tanner Thing: Jergens Review and St. Tropez First Impressions

Since I'm spending all my days this summer studying for the dreaded MCAT, I've also missed out on quite a bit of sun. I know it's not good for anyone to be laying out anyway, but it's fun to have that summery glow. I've always strayed away from self tanners in the past, especially seeing examples of how they've gone HIDEOUSLY wrong. Right? We've all seen girls walking around looking like they've dipped themselves in orange paint. Not the look I'm going for.

 I've used Jergens Natural Glow once before a few years back, and I remember that it worked quite well. I just finished a bottle of the medium/dark this week, and I have to say it's still pretty good. The new formula is AMAZING, and it smells SO good. Lightly and pleasantly scented (which is a lot better than other tanners), and applied evenly. It doesn't streak if you let it dry before you get dressed. I only had some streaking on my wrists- I guess I wasn't careful enough when washing my hands after application. Everything dried in under 10 minutes, and I was good to go. No stains on my white sheets either!

Instead of repurchasing another bottle of Jergens, I opted to try the St. Tropez Gradual Tan. I don't know why I can't just bite the bullet and get a regular self tanner, but the gradual ones seem a bit less intimidating, and more forgiving if you mess up. I applied it for the first time today (I'm actually waiting for it to dry as we speak here). My first impressions is that it doesn't smell nearly as good as Jergens. I mean, it doesn't smell awful by any means, but its really strong and not necessarily pleasant. Its taking FOREVER to dry, and so far it's leaving my skin a bit shiny and sticky. (My left arm is a little shinier than my right. I probably applied to much on that arm. oops). You're supposed to wait until it all dries before you get dressed. 25 minutes and counting. Grr.

So far:

• Jergens smells better
• Jergens dries faster
• Jergens is less expensive

These are just my first impressions of the St. Tropez. I won't judge anything from the first try, I'll definitely continue and see which tanner I like better. Have you tried either of these? Which are your favorites?

Review | Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far! The New York area has had an awful heat wave the last week or so, making it downright impossible to stay outside. Temperatures rose to the high 90s-100F with full humidity, and needless to say, came with some makeup disasters. I broke out the Hourglass Veil mineral primer I purchased a few weeks ago and put it to the test, and it's done fabulously. 

This clean, satin-finish formula helps keep makeup looking fresh and prevents fading. Veil Mineral Primer also absorbs excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores by evenly distributing light to help hide and soften skin imperfections and fine lines. (From Sephora Website)

I picked up the smaller, travel size option, at $18 for 0.33oz, with SPF 15. The larger bottle is 1oz, at $52. It comes in a small frosted glass bottle with a pump. I love the packaging- it's sturdy yet simple, and super pretty. It doesn't take up much space in your makeup bag either which is always a plus. Although it's quite pricey, I think it's worth the money:

The primer comes out of the pump white, and is suuuuper light in consistency- similar to the texture of whipped cream, but lighter. A little goes a long way, it has no scent, and repels water! I love how it has SPF but doesn't smell like sunscreen. I have super oily skin (I wear MUFE HD foundation, and have to blot two hours or so later if not sooner). With this primer, I was good for 5 or 6 hours. And although my face got oily, it didn't look as shiny, and there was absolutely no makeup meltdown! 

"Veil Mineral Primer is formulated with naturally derived titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sun-blocking agents. This water-resistant primer is also 100% free of fragrance, oil, and gluten."

This is probably more than enough to cover the face.

Keep blending...

Blended in at the top. It has the slightest sheen, but not at all sparkly. It leaves the skin feeling beautifully soft, smooth, and even.

Running water over my hand, the area where the primer was applied was not affected at all.

Overall this is an amazing product. I love how it keeps my make up looking brighter for longer. I haven't had any breakouts or problems due to the product. I look forward to trying other Hourglass products- which ones are your favorite?

Repurchase? Absolutely.

0.33 oz//$18

1oz//$52

check it out here

Review | Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream $39 (full size) $19.50 (travel/half size) 

Shade: Light (comes in 5 shades)

"This multitasking tinted cream formula with SPF 35 moisturizes, primes, perfects, controls oil, and protects for flawless skin on set and beyond. Formulated with emollients and optical pearl pigments, this BB Cream gives skin a glowing, ethereal look and provides a hydrating veil for the complexion to maintain moisture on the surface of the skin. With its ultrasmoothing finish, it instantly re-texturizes to create a smooth canvas and enhances the wear of makeup. Ideal even for oily complexions, this expert formula with UVA/UVB protection helps inhibit oil to prevent the complexion from getting shiny throughout the day without the typical chalky matte finish. " (copied from Sephora)

I love the idea of BB creams, but $39 is a bit on the expensive side for a product I was iffy to try. I was super excited while browsing at Sephora and found that they have a travel size option (haul is here)! It's $19.50 for 0.5 fl oz (while the full size is 1 oz). Although it's still on the pricey side, I figured why not.

This product claims to control oil and provide a smooth, glowy finish, and have SPF 35 (which is a huge plus, since I hate wearing SPF separately). I have to say that the product lives up to its claims! I have combination skin with an oily T-zone, and usually, when wearing foundations, I have to blot every couple of hours, or my face will be noticeably shiny (never cute). I didn't have to blot all day! (I did anyways after 8 hours, but I wasn't noticeably shiny).

At first, the BB cream comes off as a bit too light, but it warms up to my skintone as I blend it in. I set it with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish natural in Medium using the Real Techniques powder brush, and the combination provides for a natural looking finish that lasts all day! The consistency is similar, but probably a lighter than Laura Mercier's Silk Creme foundation (review here). LM's foundation is creamer though. It's definitely thicker than many BB creams, and doesn't smell like anything. The coverage more on the sheer side, but it does even out the skin pretty well. I use a bit of concealer to cover any problem spots. My go-to is MAC studio finish concealer.  I've tried a bunch of BB creams (Boscia, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon), this one is probably my favorite.

Looks a little too light...

But blends in perfectly!

Repurchase? Yes

Review | MAC Angel Lipstick

As spring is settling in, I've been wearing brighter lipsticks, and sadly putting away the darker shades (which is unfortunate since I LOVE Darkside//MAC). I purchased MAC's Angel a couple of months ago (the haul is here), and I thought I'd put in my two cents about it.

The MAC website accurately describes this as a "soft pink", and the finish is a frost. The description sounds perfect and the lipstick looks gorgeous in the tube. There's so much hype over this product, and it's also one of MAC's best selling lipsticks. 

The color is absolutely beautiful. It's not too cool or too warm, so it goes with most skin tones. 

 I'm not a big fan of the finish and the formula though. The product sits rather messily on my lips. It seems to accentuate and sink into fine lines, as well as cling to all the wrong parts if the lips aren't completely exfoliated. I also have rather pigmented lips, and the color doesn't always mix well (though this can be fixed by putting concealer over the lips first). Some days I love this, and other days I don't. Lately it's been leaning towards don't. It takes much too much effort to make it look nice on.

 Angel swatches so beautifully on the hand, just not so much on the lips. I don't find that the formula lasts that long either. The longer I keep it on my lips, the messier it seems to look. Maybe I just got a bad tube? Have you tried this lipstick? what do you think?

I have found that MAC Angel looks absolutely stunning layered over NARS Dolce Vita lipstick. I wouldn't go out and buy both, but if you have it, give it a try! If the finish were a cremesheen or even a satin, I'd probably like that better. I know that Angel comes in a lipgloss, so perhaps the formula of that looks a lot better on the lips. I really wanted to like this lipstick! Oh well.

Light, medium, and heavy swatches (top to bottom)

Repurchase: No

Review | Caudalie SOS Thirst Quenching Serum

I picked this up a couple of months ago (the haul is here!), and it's been my go-to moisturizer lately, especially since the weather's been getting warmer and I don't want to use anything particularly thick. I've been quite the Caudalie fan the past couple of years. The packaging is heavy, substantial, and made of glass. It's a milky-white liquid with a rather thin consistency, but not so thin that you wouldn't be able to get it all on your face ( if that makes any sense). This moisturizing serum comes in a bottle with 1.0fl oz of product, and retails for $48 at Sephora. 

PROS: I absolutely love that it absorbs completely and extremely quickly, and is not the least bit oily. Once it absorbs into the skin, it leaves no residue, only your skin feels moisturized, with a matte-natural. It works wonders on my combination to oily T-zone, and haven't had any problems with it so far. It doesn't contribute to the oilyness either. I'd imagine if you have dry skin this would work as well, but may need another moisturizer on top. One pump is more than enough for my entire face.

CONS: It seems as though each pump gives a lot of product, and it seems like I'll go through the bottle rather quickly, which is unfortunate due to the price. I'm not the biggest fan of the smell, but it doesn't bother me either. It has an earthy scent- unlike the average moisturizers. If you don't like the Caudalie Beauty Elixir scent (smells a bit fresher than this serum), I don't think you'll like this either.

Repurchase? yes.

Review | Anastasia Brow Duality

Anastasia Brow Duality// Shell & Lace

I'm not embarrassed to admit that I'm rather obsessed with eyebrows. I'm convinced that if my brows are taken care of, I'll look more put together with or without any extra make up. Anastasia has fabulous brow products, and I thought I'd share my favorite!

Brow Duality is a dual ended highlighting pencil. The one I have is in Shell & Lace. Shell is matte, and is the consistency of a light concealer. It's almost skin-toned, but a bit lighter, brighter, and with pink-y undertones. I use this right under my brows, to highlight my brow bone. On days where I don't have time to clean up my brows, I'll use a concealer to shape them, then use the Shell end to highlight. This also works well on the cupid's bow and edge of the lower lip for added plump-ness. 

Perception is reality! In a beauty sense, anyway.

The opposite end of Brow Duality is this beautiful gold highlighter "lace". The consistency is really light, almost powdery when it dries. This side is a lot lighter in consistency and thickness than the Shell end, and is a bit more glitzy than the Shell, which is more subtle. I also use this as a cream eye shadow, blended with some black eyeliner/shadow for a subtle-glam look.

Swatched! 

Left: Lace

Right: Shell

This is available at Sephora. The packaging has change since I purchased this, but the product is just the same! I have the Shell/Lace because I have yellow undertones. The other option is Camille/Sand for those who have more pink undertones. At $23, it's a bit pricey, but it'll last forever.

Repurchase? Yes.

Review | Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Having accumulated quite a few things through stress shopping over the past few months, I've been trying to appreciate the things that I own rather than buying more. This month I've really been enjoying Laura Mercier's Silk Creme foundation - its my go-to foundation when I need a high coverage, flawless finish for a bad-skin day, or if it's been a long night. I thought I'd share my thoughts :)

The foundation comes in a shimmery purpley- brown squeeze tube for $42 with 1.18fl oz/35ml of product, and is good for 18 months. It's a tad expensive, but the tube will last forever- you don't need much to cover your whole face. The packaging is really similar to other Laura Mercier products- about the same as the tinted moisturizers. Be careful that you're purchasing the foundation instead of the primer or oil-free tinted moisturizer, as they all look quite similar in the tube! 

Do remember to shake well prior to use!

Pros: True to it's name, this product is really creamy- a little goes a long way!  It does a fantastic job when it comes to coverage, is water resistant, and long lasting. I've worn it through the rain and it stayed put perfectly. You can put on quite a lot and have it still look natural. I have an oily T-zone, and I haven't had any issues with this foundation slipping or wearing off too much during the day. I wouldn't say that the finish is "luminous", but it's most definitely a natural finish, not too matte or dewy. It really does look like my skin! I find that it works best when squeezed onto your hand (to warm up the product) before applying with a brush, or simply applied with the fingers.The two brushes I like to use with this foundation are Real Technique's face brush, and the Sigma F60 foundation brush.

Cons: I'm not really a fan of the rather potent smell. The best way I can describe it is a bit almond-y and a bit like paint. I'm not sure if it's just the one that I have or not. Aside from that, no complaints!

Comparisons: The consistency is a bit thinner and creamier than that of MAC's Studio Sculpt, and the coverage is higher. You can read that review here! It's thicker than Make Up For Ever's HD foundation, but the coverage is higher as well.

Repurchase? Absolutely.

Review | MAC Chatterbox Lipstick and OOTD

After a long first week of my last semester, I caught up with one of my best friends from school. I didn't have too much time to get ready, so a simple outfit with pink lipstick it was!

Foundation: BareMinerals Original (I'm giving this foundation a second try, I previously thought it broke me out. I hope it proves me wrong. You can read that post here). The foundation really does give the most wonderful glow.

Mascara: Covergirl Lashblast Original

Lipstick: MAC Chatterbox

MAC's lipstick in Chatterbox is a brightly hued and extremely pigmented yellow toned pink with an amplified finish. It's the perfect color if you want to go bright, but not "neon". This super creamy formula is really easy to apply, but it is easy to accidentally apply too much in one swipe as it is very soft. I didn't have an issue with it bleeding, but a lipliner may not be a bad idea!

The staying power is really good for being so creamy- most of it lasted through dinner! I will point out that once it wears off it leaves a "stained" effect on the lips. I wouldn't keep this as a "purse lipstick" since, again, it's really soft and would probably melt rather easily. Aside from that, it compliments simple make up well, and would go well with most skin tones. I can't wait to wear it more often in the spring and summer months!

And as for the outfit of the day,

Earrings: Tiffany

Coat: Guess

Leggings: J.Crew

Sweater: H&M

Boots: Bakers

Bag: Kate Spade (haul is here)

Review | MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation; An Almost Favorite

I picked up this foundation while I was out Christmas shopping back in December. We all have one of those "one for you, one for me" gift shopping sessions! I tried out this foundation for the first time a few years ago, and I remember that I really liked it but wasn't impressed with the staying power. But then again, that was a few years back, so I decided to give it another shot.

The packaging of the product is really nice- it comes in a velvety plastic tube that's super portable and fits into make-up bags nicely. The black cap twists off, and the product can be squeezed out of the tube onto a brush, sponge, or your skin. It's not a cheap foundation (but certainly not the most expensive either), at $30 for 40ml (1.3 fl oz)- but the tube will last you forever, as a little bit goes a very long way. The photos below show a tiny amount of product, and the same amount blended out.

Pros: The finish of this foundation is absolutely beautiful, and the coverage is medium but build-able. It gives a very natural looking, luminous finish- like your skin but perfect. It's easy to put on too much of this product because it's so easy to blend, but piling it on won't make it look cake-y either, which is good on those crappy skin days. I like to apply this with a foundation brush, but fingers work just as well! Of all the MAC foundations I've tried (studio fix, studio tech, mineralize, face&body), this is the foundation that looks closest to natural skin with a higher coverage.

Cons: This is not a product for oily skin. I have combination skin- I get a bit oily in my t-zone area and usually have to blot halfway throughout the day. My cheeks are pretty good, not oily or dry- just in the middle. That being said, I noticed that this foundation only lasts two or three hours on my t-zone. The foundation slips noticeably on my forehead, and rubs off around the sides of my nose! My cheeks look great all day though. I think this foundation would be fabulous for those who have normal to dry skin. It's definitely one of my favorite finishes in foundations, but unfortunately it doesn't always work well on my skin. Setting the foundation with a powder buys me a bit more time, but this isn't a foundation I would wear if I need my makeup to last all day. One more note, I'm not a fan of the scent of this foundation. It smells a bit like paint to me- it's not super strong, but enough for me to notice and not enjoy the smell.

Repurchase? No, sadly.

Review | Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

After so many recommendations of this product, I picked up the large one (in Honey- the bronze case) last year.

The color seemed to be delightfully nude- pigmented yet still understated, and it was. Sort of. Except that the color seemed a bit fake looking on me - almost an exaggerated nude that didn't go with my skin tone. I also wasn't a fan of the consistency. It's like a lipstick where too much comes off with even the lightest touch in application. I find it to be far too heavy, but then I thought that maybe it's just this particular color...

Then my birthday this year rolled around and Sephora's Beauty Insider birthday gift was this adorable duo of the same lip treatment! I was so excited to try the other colors- especially the Rose (apparently the most popular color).

Left swatch : Honey

Right Swatch: Rose

I love love love the Rose color, it's beautiful and gives just enough color and warmth to the face. Again, I don't like the consistency, although the Rose consistency is a bit lighter than the Sugar (clear) and the Honey. I used up the entire clear sample in a little over a week. I felt as though it made my lips more dry- I found myself applying it over and over again obsessively. I don't particularly like this product (even though I tried so hard to)! My favorite out of the three is the Rose, however I wouldn't recommend the product given the price and effectiveness. It made my lips feel really heavy with piled-on product. It was thick but not moisturizing- really disappointing. 

Overall:

Cost: $22.50

Repurchase: no

Recommend: no

Have you tried this product? What are your lip product recommendations? :-)