5 Recent Faves

Lately, I've been feeling like I have my beauty routine down pat. My makeup consists of products I trust, and reach for again and again. Here are a few of my favorite products of the moment that has made my life just that much easier in the past few months.

1. CoverGirl Flamed Out Mega Curl Mascara* - My new favorite mascara. It does everything a mascara should in my book - separates my lashes, thickens them, and curls them. The mascara stays on my lashes until I take it off at night, and its formula is really black! A+!

2. Almay Soothing & De-Puffing Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads* - There's nothing I hate more than having to rub my eyes with a remover in order to get all my makeup off. I don't want wrinkles! These Almay makeup remover pads are amazing! They don't pull at your lids when you're removing your makeup, just place them gently on your lids, and wipe the makeup away. It's that easy, and it removes every trace of makeup with ease. On top of this, they truly are soothing. My eyes are quite sensitive to makeup remove and this didn't irritate them at all! I'll definitely be repurchasing these!

3. NARS Laguna Bronzer - For a while, I wasn't wearing much bronzer. It's quite silly because it's the dead of winter and I'm pale as a ghost! But recently, I've rediscovered how much I love my NARS Laguna bronzer. It's the perfect color of bronzer for my skintone, and it blends beautifully. Plus, it gives me sculpted cheekbones - I just add a little bit of pink blush and I feel ready to face the day!

4. Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby - There has never been an easier lipstick for me to wear. This. goes. with. everything. Smokey eye? Perfect. No makeup-look? Even better. The creamy formula is moisturizing and the nude pink shade is absolutely gorgeous. There's a reason this baby is usually sold out at the Estee Lauder counter!

5. Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows - My absolute favorite brow product EVER. I recently ran out of my Anastasia Brow Whiz and was searching for a cheaper alternative. Enter this little gem in the shade Soft Brown. I have to say, I like it better in terms of formula than my trusty brow whiz because it is easier to use and more pigmented. Only downfall? It doesn't have the brow brush at the end like the Anastasia Brow Whiz. Bummer.

As always, thank you for reading!

*Disclosure: I am a #BeautyUnited blogger. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.

Battle of the Bronzers/Contour powders! A peek in my collection!

While some people think of them as an absolute must in their daily makeup routines, the use of bronzer or contour powder is usually done when thought of, or for a special occasion on my part. I just don't always think to put it on, even though with my round-ish face, it would do me a favor to remember.

My skin tone is so pale and pinky/neutral that I find they often make me look yellow. It took a lot of research and reading up of reviews in order to be satisfied with the small collection I've acquired. I must say, I really love every one of them in a different way. 

From bottom left to right, clockwise: Dior Diorskin Nude Tan 002, Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light, NYX Blush in 11 Taupe, Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Disobey, NARS Laguna Bronzer, MAC Pro Pan Blush in Harmony.

 NARS Laguna is showing pan!

From left to right: Sleek Contour Kit in Light, Diorskin Nude Tan in 002, NYX Taupe, MAC Harmony, Illamasqua Disobey, NARS Laguna.

As you can see from the swatches, they are quite different from each other. I tend to prefer the look of ashier or neutral brown powders on my skin tone such as the Sleek Contour Kit, and NARS Laguna for contouring the cheekbones. Laguna is my only contour/bronzing powder with significant shimmer but as stated by many bloggers before me, this shimmer is actually quite subtle on the skin, and does not interfere with its function as a contour powder. If not blended properly, especially since it is so pigmented, NYX Taupe can look dirty on my skin tone. I really like it for a night out because it gives a realistic and quite deep looking shadow to the hollows of my cheekbones - however, I don't think I'd use this everyday other than with an extremely light hand. I use the Diorskin Nude Tan Powder to create an overall glow (as it does contain a bit of light shimmer), rather than a specific contour. It's excellent for that purpose since it isn't too pigmented, and blends wonderfully into foundation. MAC Harmony works very well as a contour powder, or as a blush. It is a bit pinker than most of my contour shades, but I find this works especially well if used to contour without any blush to my face - it adds a bit of healthy color to it. Illamaqua Disobey tends to lean more yellow and is more suitable for my skin tone in the summer - the softness of this powder is amazing, and incredibly easy to blend. It's also a great color to blend in the eye socket to soften the edges of a dark eye makeup look.

Hope this comparison was somewhat helpful for you! Bronzers and contour powders are tricky - not every bronzer/contour shade will suit every coloring! The best thing to do is to test them out before purchasing - and don't be afraid to return something if it doesn't work for you!

What are your favorite bronzers/contour colors?  I'm curious to know what works for you!