Current Makeup Favorites - Foundation, Concealer, Brows

When I was in 6th grade I wanted to wear makeup every day to school. My mom told me I had to be 12 years old before I could wear makeup, and even then, it could only be mascara. I'm pretty sure I snuck into her makeup anyway.

I'm so sorry Mom. I was a difficult child. 

One day in particular, I used my mom's burgundy lip liner in my eyebrows. 

Why did I think that was a good idea? Who knows.

One of my friends looked at me and said, "Oh my gosh, your eyebrows are RED!"

So I guess you can say, in 1999 I started this eyebrow trend:

Anyway, with all that being said, my makeup knowledge and skills have improved a little bit, and here are some of my favorite discoveries.

Monistat Chafing Gel, Smashbox Primer Water, and NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

This has been my go-to combination for foundation recently, and I have been loving it!  If you read my first impressions on the NARS foundation and the Smashbox primer you might be surprised by this.  When I first used the Primer Water and the Sheer Glow together, my pores were very visible. I played around with different primers and foundation routines before settling on this one. I've been doing this for the past week.

I wash and moisturize my face like normal, and after letting my moisturizer soak in for at least 5 minutes, I'll press the primer (Monistat gel) into my skin. I concentrate it on my nose and cheeks, but I smooth it all over my face.  Then I spritz my face with a few sprays of the Smashbox Primer Water.  Then I go in with the NARS Sheer Glow, using my hands.  Yes, my hands!  The directions say to use either your fingers or a beauty blender, and after trying a beauty blender, a flat top kabuki, and my fingers, I decided I like the way it looks the most when I use my fingers.

The Monistat fills in my pores so they aren't as noticeable, as well as smooths out any rough patches. The Primer Water gives my skin extra hydration and radiance, which is definitely needed when your skin is dry and dull like mine.  Top that off with the perfect coverage and finish of Sheer Glow, and I am loving my skin this spring!

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

Concealer is something I've only started wearing in the last two years or so.  It makes such a big difference on my under eye circles that I feel crazy for not using it sooner.  Pro Longwear is my favorite because it is full coverage and feels light.  I set it with a light translucent powder and it doesn't settle into fine lines, and it lasts a long time.  I have the shade NW20, but I think I would like to get NW15 next time so it's a tad bit brighter and can highlight under my eyes (which will disguise my dark circles even more).

Not only do I like to use this as under eye concealer, but this is my favorite eyeshadow primer.  I have very pigmented lids. Like, bright red pigmented! This covers them up without any problems, and it leaves a very smooth base for my eyeshadow to stick to.  My eyeshadow lasts better with this than it does when I used Urban Decay Primer Potion!  As you can guess, my Primer Potion hasn't felt any love in a while...

My only issue with this product is the packaging.  When I first got it, too much would pump out at a time, and there was no way to control it.  I would slightly press on the pump and it would just automatically pump the rest of the way and cover my fingers in concealer.  Now that I've been using it for a few months, it doesn't pump out so much all at once, and I can control the pump better to get just a half pump if I want.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe

If you know me in real life, and you've known me for more than a couple of years, you might know that I have struggled with... how do you say... invisible eyebrows, for most of my life.  I've tried many different things, mostly filling them in with powders.  I've tried other brow pencils, but most of them looked too reddish/orange. I never found anything that looked natural and stayed all day until I started using this brow pencil.


Case in point:

The top 2 are BEFORE Brow Wiz, the bottom two are After

Let it be known that it's really weird making a collage of your own face.

I couldn't find very many pictures with clear views of my brows, so bare with me here. Please realize the following:
-In the top left picture I was probably 18. Ugh, I miss that perfect skin. I did fill in my eyebrows, but I can't remember what I used.

-In the top right I was living in North Carolina, pigging out on southern BBQ and grandma's home cooking. Once again, I cannot remember what I used to fill in my brows.

-In the bottom left I was very sick, and probably should not have been out in public. I used the Brow Wiz.

-And the bottom right was taken about a week ago. Once again, I used the Brow Wiz.

I love the way the Brow Wiz makes my brows look. I love the texture of the pencil, and the product itself has  really small, fine, point so you can get in there and draw on hairs. They have a wide range of colors to suit every hair color.  It's waterproof so it lasts through the Florida humidity and rain. Generally I also use Benfit Gimme Brow after using the Brow Wiz. That makes the individual hairs show up better, thus making my brows look even more natural.

I would say that Benefit Gimme Brow is another favorite, however, that doesn't feel genuine because it is the ONLY brow gel I have ever used. I absolutely love it, but I have nothing to compare it to.


This post is getting long, so I'll have more favorites in another post.

NARS Sheer Glow and Smashbox Primer Water First Impressions

After purchasing NARS Sheer Glow, I continued reading reviews online and watching reviews on YouTube.

My dad has always told me to stop shopping after purchasing something...

I should have listened.




I came across several reviews that said this foundation, while recommended for dry skin, is not good for dry skin.

I have dry skin!  I panicked.  I was worried that I was going to hate it.



These people said that Sheer Glow would cling to any dry patch on your face.

NOOOO!  My whole face is a dry patch!  I'm ruined!



So, how did NARS Sheer Glow pan out for my first try?

First, let's talk about how I applied it.

I washed my face, and did my normal skin care routine. I then spritzed my face with my new Smashbox Primer Water (more notes on this primer are below).

Nars Sheer Glow does NOT come with a pump, which is a bit disappointing, but I did know this before purchasing.  You can purchase a pump separately, for I think $5.

I poured some Sheer Glow onto the back of my hand, and I mixed what I call a "foundation cocktail" using about a dime sized amount of foundation and one drop of Tarte Maracuja oil. After mixing that around, I dabbed it on my nose, forehead, cheeks and chin.  I used a damp Beauty Blender and blended the foundation into my skin.


I have before and after pictures, but unfortunately, the lighting changes between my No Makeup picture and my Foundation Only picture, so it's hard to tell the differences.

None of these pictures are edited in any way.

Before, no foundation. Hair not up for discussion. ;)

After, one layer of foundation.

After one layer of foundation, the redness on my cheeks was greatly diminished, and the redness on my nose was slightly neutralized.  You could still see my freckles.  I would definitely describe it as sheer coverage.  The finish was what I would call "natural." It had a glow about it that looked like natural skin. I thought it was beautiful!  It did cling to the dry patches on my nose, but it was so minimal that it wasn't picked up by the camera.

I added another layer of foundation, to see how buildable it was.

After two layers of foundation.

I really liked the look of two layers! It's very subtle, but my nose is less red and my freckles are more covered.  The finish was still natural looking. The dry patch on my nose showed up a little more, but again, it wasn't bad at all.

I finished the rest of my makeup, and took pictures throughout the day, seeing how the foundation looked in different lighting.

Outdoors, 1 hour after application.

Indoors, about 1 hour after application.

Two hours after application.

Three hours after application. This was my favorite lighting - the bathroom at Sam's Club! (Hahaha!)

Indoors, about four hours after application.

I think this was 5-6 hour after application, and this was the last photo I took.

I think the lasting power was pretty good considering it lasted throughout talking the dogs for a walk outside in the Florida heat, a toddler climbing on me during lunch time, and shopping at Sam's Club.

I like the coverage, I love the finish.  Everything is going for this foundation!


My problem was with the primer. The Smashbox Primer Water was GREAT for moisturizing my skin, and giving it a great look. However, it did NOTHING for my huge pores. I shouldn't hold that against the Smashbox Primer, because it doesn't claim to help with pores. But seriously:

This was one hour after application.  The camera could focus on my pores. That is disgusting. After seeing this picture, I felt self conscious for the rest of the day.  Granted, no one will look this close at my face except me, but when my regular primer fills in my pores so they NEVER look like this, this was shocking to me.

So the Smashbox Primer Water got a big FAIL from my first impression, but the NARS Sheer Glow is great!

I will continue to play with this foundation with different primers. I'm betting I can get it to cover the pores with a different primer.  If not, I am returning it, even though everything else about it is perfect.

I'm going to try using the Smashbox Primer Water in different ways. I'll try using it before my normal primer, and I'll try using it as a setting spray, but I will never again use it alone under foundation.

Makeup Geekery

I have all this geekery towards makeup built up inside me.  I hesitate to share it on my main blog, because that blog's purpose is to keep friends and family updated on our daily life. This blog will be where I geek out about beauty products, and share the (limited) knowledge and experience I have with them.

If you're interested, keep on reading! If not, don't.  Easy as pie.  No feelings hurt.


My most recent makeup purchase was yesterday. I am SUUUUUPER excited about what I purchased.


I was in the market for a new foundation. And I am on a quest to find my Holy Grail foundation.

Did I run out of my old foundation? No.

Why am I buying a new one? Because it's spring and summer is coming! My skin is darker, and my old foundation I noticed was grabbing on to my dry patches.  (I'll write a separate post about my skin issues.)


My new foundation is NARS Sheer Glow.  It's been out for a while, and there are many, many, many online reviews you can find and read about if if you're interested.

After viewing several reviews on YouTube and reading a few reviews on beauty blogs, the main selling points for me were:

• Medium/Full coverage
• Satin/Matte finish
• Can't see the foundation
• Looks natural

I ordered it online from Sephora yesterday.

Quick tip!  Are you afraid to purchase foundation online for fear of it not matching your skin?  OR, do you hate buying drugstore foundations because you can't try them before you buy them!  Have no fear!  I use the Foundation Matrix at Temptalia.  I have NEVER had a bad match.  You can start from scratch, or you can input your existing foundation and it will tell you what shade you are in other brands.

Check it out on Temptalia's site HERE.

I used the Foundation Matrix and my shade is Mont Blanc.  It's for Fair/Light skin tones with Pink undertones.

I wish I had known about the foundation matrix earlier, because I have purchased foundation online before and I did NOT get the right shade.  That foundation was Laura Geller Take Cover.  I LOVED that foundation, but I can only wear it when I'm at my darkest, and even then, I have to blend it onto my neck quite a bit.

In this recent makeup purchase, I also purchased one other item: SmashBox Primer Water.

The selling points for this were that it hydrates and energizes skin. It contains caffeine.  I think my skin could use a little pizzazz.

I have been using primer for three years now, and I will never go without primer again. The foundation applies so much smoother with it!  Especially with my particular skin issues.  I'm excited to try this new one, because I've mostly stuck with the same one for the past three years. We'll see if this can beat it!

Smashbox Primer Water can be used before, during, and after makeup application.  The Florida heat and humidity have helped me become addicted to setting sprays, so I'm excited to see how this holds up for that purpose as well.

What are your recent makeup purchases?  What are you excited about?