My Nighttime Beauty Routine

Something I never really worry too much about is my skin. At night, I'll take my makeup off with a cleansing wipe, wash my face if I take a shower, and call it a night. It's really nice to be able to be lazy and still have clear skin, zits are a very rare problem here!

That's how I would've described my skincare routine in high school. Then, it seemed like when the clock hit midnight on my twentieth birthday, out came the zits, dry patches, and uneven skin tone. I seem to be going in reverse; usually high school is the worst time for skin and things get better by your twenties. Not for me. I remember thinking in high school how lucky I felt to never worry about my skin. Going to bed with makeup on happened on more than one occasion, and it was always fine. The occasional lonely pimple would appear, but some toothpaste cleared it right up by school the next day. That's why it was a total shock when the less-than-perfect skin appeared a couple years ago. Rough little zits took over my cheeks and chin, dry patches started to suck up my liquid foundation, and the darkness under my eyes became nearly impossible to cover. It was so frustrating! I'd be lying if I said it didn't really upset my sometimes.

But, like all troubling things, you need to learn to deal with it. I started to realize my skin might actually need the attention I never gave it before. The neglect was finally starting to show through. I did research, read ingredients, tested out quite a few products, and have found a night time skincare routine that's working. My skin still isn't anywhere near perfect, or even where it used to be, but it seems to be under control.

I'm sure it's going to change many times in the future, but here is my current nighttime skincare routine:

When first getting ready for bed, I remove all my makeup with a Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelette. These are just simple and effective. They're the only makeup remover wipes I've ever used and ever care to use, I love them. I always like to get all my makeup off with this before cleaning my face. That way the face wash is actually cleaning my face and not just removing makeup.

Next, I'll use one of these face washes: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash and Aveeno Positively Radiant Brightening Cleanser. I usually alternate these two every day (as recommended by an esthetician). The Neutrogena one is a little tougher, good for clearing breakouts and removing excess oils, but tends to dry my face out a bit. So I use the Aveeno one to give my skin a little break from that and wash it with a more moisturizing face wash. I also use the Jan Marini one I just discovered maybe once a week, since I have sensitive skin and don't want to irritate it.

After I wash and pat dry, I tone. I only use this toner on nights when I wash with the Aveno. Just to make sure it gets nice and clean. It's very gentle and alcohol free, so I'm sure I could also use it with the acne washes, but I just like to be very careful about irritating my skin by using too much product.

Then I moisturize. Probably the most important step for me. My skin get so dry sometimes that parts of it actually start to flake. I hate that so much. This Neutrogena night cream is my favorite. It feels so soft on the skin, without feeling greasy or pilling. The moisture really lasts all night, too. Then I'll dab some eye cream under my eyes. I'm currently using a sample size of this Clarins Total Eye Concentrate that I received, but it's almost empty and I'm not sure it's good enough that I want to spend $85 on the full size. If there's an eye cream you love and recommend, let me know!

Finally, I moisturize my lips. Good ole Chapstick has always been my favorite, and I'm loving this duel ended one. The nighttime side is the perfect end to my routine. It leaves lips feeling soft and moisturized through the night.

And that's it! Definitely a lot of steps compared to what I used to do, but it's worth it! My skin has shown significant improvement since I started taking better care of it, and that feels so good. It might not ever look perfect, but at least I know I'm doing my best to keep it healthy and happy!

What are some of your favorite nighttime beauty products?

My Favorite Drugstore and High-end Makeup

I've always been interested in makeup, but I feel like this year I really developed a love for all things beauty. I have a makeup collection that I'm pretty proud of, and feel like I know much more when makeup shopping then I did before. Reading labels and researching before buying is something I started doing this year and really enjoy knowing more about. So I made a list of some of my favorite makeup products, both high-end and drugstore, that I use most often.

Up until recently, the only thing I ever used to apply my foundation was a basic MAC 190 foundation brush. It does the job, but it never seemed to blend well and would leave streaks. When I saw that a million Youtubers loved the Beauty Blender, I had to give one a try, and I'm obsessed. It's for sure my favorite tool to use for a flawless foundation application. I definitely use this on most days, but I also have this Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. For a brush, it blends really well, and for only $9, you can't go wrong.

I've mentioned both of these foundations here before, but it's for a good reason, they're amazing! I'm currently on my fourth bottle of Revlon Colorstay and have every intention to continue buying it. For me, it's the perfect everyday, natural looking foundation. It blends well, doesn't cake, and lasts all day! The Nars Sheer Glow is kind of like a nicer version of this, the only reason I even tried it was because I hadn't discovered the Revlon yet. The only differences are the Nars would probably be better if you have really sensitive skin and want nicer ingredients. 

Bronzer is something that always intimidated and kind of scared me. Since I'm so pale, I always thought it would look really unnatural and fake on me. But with the help of mostly my sister, I learned how to apply it to look natural and just add definition to my face. I started using Hoola by Benefit, since I love that brand, and it's perfect for contouring. I never add bronzer all over my face anyways, so this is perfect to add a little glow. I also love this one from NYX. It's matte, so it can look a little heavier on, but with practice it really enhances your look.

Blush has always been one of my favorite beauty products, along with lipstick, so I had a hard time coming up with only two I use often. I generally like to go for warmer, peachy shades, I feel like they compliment my skin tone, so the color Captivating by Tarte is one of my favorites. These blushes look very natural, and really last all day without being thick and cakey. I also love this one from Milani. It's a baked blush, so it's really soft and easy to apply.

 Concealer is a really important step for me, I have the darkest under-eye circles and look like I haven't slept in days if I don't cover them. I really love the MAC Pro Longwear concealer. It's like an all in one; heavy coverage, doesn't crease, and lasts all day. I love this stuff! A really cheap option for a  heavy duty concealer is Glamoflauge by Hard Candy. This stuff is crazy thick. The teeniest dot with cover up pretty much everything. Just make sure to use primer underneath it or it'll crease.

Liquid is the only kind of eyeliner I'll wear. I'm not a fan of the kohl, smudgy look, I like a clean line. So liquid pens are the way to go. They can be tricky to master, but once you've got it down it looks really good. The only real difference between these two eyeliners is the Stila one lasts longer, but the Maybelline is a great option for the price.

 One part of my makeup I don't necessarily want to look natural is my lashes, for me, the bigger the better. I want it all; long, thick, black, curled lashes. Mine are naturally pretty long, but stick straight out (I have to use a eyelash curler). Benefit's They're Real Mascara is my all time favorite. It gives me everything I mentioned before without making them clumpy and spidery. If you can't justify $23 for mascara, L'Oreal's Miss Manga is really good. All the same results, just don't go overboard or it'll start to clump.

 I'm always on the hunt for that perfect, everyday, keep in my purse lipstick. And so far I have a few I love. I tend to look for warm pinky nude shades, and YSL's Nude Beige is perfection. My favorite lipstick color ever, plus a creamy, soft formula, and just look at the tube it comes in, beautiful! A cheap nude I really like is NYX butter lipstick in Fun Size. It's a really pretty peachy-nude color I wear regularly. It's not as smooth and soft as the YSL, but amazing for the price!

And finally, a makeup collection isn't complete without the perfect red lipstick. My (and a ton of people's) favorite is MAC Russian Red. It's a really nice, deep matte red that looks amazing on every skin tone. And if you've ever had a MAC lipstick, you know how nice they are. A really good alternative is Rimmel Kate in the shade 10. To me, it's the perfect crayon red color, and these lipsticks are surprisingly smooth and moisturizing for how inexpensive they are. This is the only shade I have from this collection, but it's made me want to go out and get a bunch more!

So those are a few of the amazing makeup products I've discovered this year and love. And goes to show you don't need to spend a lot to get a gorgeous makeup application. Have you ever tried any of these products? What are your all time favorite makeup products, drugstore or high-end?

xoxo!

My Favorite Foundations for Very Fair Skin

Ever since I first started wearing makeup, I've had trouble finding a good foundation for my very fair, very dry skin. I remember my very first time going to buy makeup the summer before high school, my mom took me to the MAC counter in the mall, and I was so excited to finally start wearing makeup. The woman working there swatched a few different shades on my face before telling me that even the lightest one they carried was too dark for me. I was a little bummed but she told me that a little concealer and some blush was all I needed on my face anyway.

I was fine wearing super minimal makeup for a while, but after about a year I really wanted more coverage. My mom suggested trying Cover Girl, which carried super light shades, but that makeup must be formulated for oily skin because I found it left my face feeling rough and chalky. I think I even went a while wearing makeup that was just a bit too dark for me, noticing that dreadful mask line in old photos. So I began my hunt for the perfect foundation, and now am happy to say I've found a few that really work for me!

The first one I tried and loved was bareMinerals Original foundation in Fairly Light, the lightest shade for neutral under-toned skin. I was a little unsure about it at first because it was powder I assumed it wouldn't work well on dry skin, but after a friend of mine swore on it, I bought a starter kit. I immediately fell in love. The color blended perfectly, had a natural finish, and pretty good coverage. It's been about six years since I first tried this one out and it's still a must-have in my makeup drawer.

Although I really loved that makeup, I still really wanted to find a liquid foundation that would work for me. I don't really remember how I came across it, maybe from someone on YouTube, but I decided one day to try out the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in the lightest shade Siberia. I completely loved it. This foundation comes in so, so many different shades, and leaves your skin looking very moisturized and fresh. I really love this makeup!

I discovered my next favorite, and probably my most used foundation by trying to find a good dupe for the Nars one. I normally wouldn't feel like I need to, but $45 for one ounce of makeup started to feel like too much. I read a lot of people online suggested Revlon ColorStay for Normal to Dry Skin in the shade Buff. When I looked at this makeup in the store, it looked pretty dark, so I was nervous to try it, but for $10, I thought I'd give it a go. And I'm glad I did! This foundation is so, so similar to the Nars, and for a fraction of the cost! This is my everyday, go-to foundation, it just always seems to work well. And being on my fourth bottle now, I'm really glad I discovered this instead of spending that much money on the Nars!

And finally, a foundation I just recently discovered is the bareMinerals Bare Skin Brightening Serum in Bare Porcelain. When I heard that this brand was finally coming out with a liquid foundation, I was thrilled, it seemed like the best of both worlds! I bought this after trying it on a bunch of people at work and really liking how it looked on them, very bright and fresh looking. And I ended up really liking it on me too! The lightest shade works for me, which I still consider lucky, and the finish is really nice. The only thing I will say though is this makeup doesn't last very long. When I do wear it, I like to be able to touch up during the day. But when I'm lucky enough to find a makeup that works for me, that doesn't matter too much!

So those are the foundations I've discovered so far for extremely fair skin like mine. I will admit, even these require blending into my neck in the wintertime when my skin is extra pale, but I'm still able to make them work and am glad I found them after some crazy searching and a lot of failures!

What foundations have you found that work perfectly for your skin?

Homemade Pumpkin Body Scrub

To kick off the start of one of everyone's favorite seasons, I did some experimenting with ingredients to make a homemade Fall scrub. There are a lot of really simple scrubs to make with Summer scents (lemon, sugar, and olive oil) but I had never tried a Fall scented one.

I played around a little bit and decided that this simple mixture might work. I tried my recipe out to make sure it did what it was supposed to, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Not only does it smell amazing, but it leaves skin feeling so soft and smooth. 

The benefits of this scrub is:

Exfoliation: The sugar and coffee grounds remove dead skin cells and leave skin softer and brighter, and the caffeine in the coffee reduces inflammation and redness.

Moisturizer: The coconut oil has a ton of skin benefiting ingredients including anti-aging properties, natural moisturizers, proteins that promote healthy blood flow, and it reduces the appearance of pores and acne.

Vitamins: Pumpkin puree is full of tons of skin loving ingredients including Vitamin A and C, and is also easily absorbed into the skin. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of pumpkin puree

1/3 cup of sugar

2 tbsp coffee grounds

1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:

Just mix together the pumpkin, sugar, and coffee grounds. Then add in the coconut oil. Massage it all over legs, arms, or anywhere on your body, let it sit for a couple minutes, then just rinse away. Put leftovers in the refrigerator, it should last for 3-4 days, it makes plenty to share!

Do you have any homemade beauty remedies you love?

Beauty Products I'd Like to Try

One: Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System. This is a product I've been hearing about for years, mostly from my mom and sister, who absolutely love it. For me, I've always been a little turned off by the price, I guess not seeing how it was any better than a $5 face brush. But, I've been thinking about it more and more and would really like to try it out. With Fall and Winter coming up, my skin gets even more dry and dull than usual, so maybe it would be good for me to have this system. It claims to:

• remove makeup six times better than usual methods
• clears pores and reduces pore size
• cleanses so thoroughly that skin care products absorb better
• removes layers of dead skin
• leaves skin looking noticeably healthier.

That all sounds really, really good to me! Most of the reviews are really positive and some people say it feels like a facial every day! So this product is next on my "to try" list, I'll let you know what I think!

Two: Benefit Majorette Blush. I've mentioned a bunch of times how big of a Benefit fan I am, so whenever a new product comes out (this one just did today!) I'm really excited to give it a try. This blush is a cream to powder, so it can easily be applied with fingers, and can be worn alone or under a powder blush to amplify it. The color is a really pretty pinky-peach shade, and oh my gosh, the packaging is so cute, I'm such a sucker! I actually just bought a new blush, and already love mine that I use, but I do want to give this one a try. New blushes are always fun to experiment with, so I'll grab this one eventually!

Three: Bare Minerals Bare Skin Serum Foundation. I'm already I pretty big Bare Minerals fan. I really like using the powder foundation on days when I don't want to wear a ton of heavy makeup, so I was pretty interested when I found out they made a liquid. I've heard from a lot of people that it's a really natural-looking and has a luminous finish, which I love. It also is supposed to be great for dry skin, which I have. It's also cool that it only takes a couple drops into the special brush and it buffs on really nicely. This is actually sold where I work, and I've tried it on other people but haven't tried it myself yet. So far people are really happy with how it looks and it looks nice on everyone, but everyones skin is different so I'll have to try it for myself soon! 

Have you tried any of this products? What do you think of them? Are there any beauty products have you been wanting to try?

Have a great week, everyone!

Appear to be Makeup Free

Don't get me wrong when you see the title of this post, I'm not the type that never leaves the house without makeup on. Once in a while it's nice to let your skin just breath and take a break. Especially when on most days I wear full foundation, thick mascara, etc. I love makeup a lot, I think it's a lot of fun to experiment with and figure out how you like to look, but I also think people should be okay looking natural once in a while, whether that be completely bare-faced, or with a few light products.

On those days when I'm just running errands and don't want to apply a full face of makeup, there are a few products I like to use to appear to be wearing no makeup at all, but just enhance everything a little bit.

The first thing I put on for a day like this is BB Cream. I just received this sample in my last Birchbox and fell in love. I've never worn a BB Cream before, until I discovered this one I would just wear plain SPF moisturizer. But this stuff is amazing. It simply evens out your skin tone without giving you an unnatural finish like foundation does. It's very, very light, so it does just enough while still feeling like you're only wearing moisturizer. Plus it has SPF 30, so it's perfect, I'll definitely be buying the full size when this one runs out.

Next I apply a dab of concealer under my eyes. Most people could probably get away without it, but under my eyes are super dark, so with out it I tend to look sick or really tired. I still only use a tiny bit though, to keep it looking pretty natural still. This concealer to too light for me to use on an every day basis, so it's perfect for these days.

After concealer I put the tiniest drop on Posietint on my cheeks. This color looks really natural on me, and a tiny bit is all you need for a natural flushed look. Because it's liquid instead of powder, it looks like skin once rubbed in, plus it's very sheer, so it doesn't look like you have any makeup on your face at all.

Something pretty important for me is to curl my eyelashes. Mine are pretty long, but also stick straight out, and curling them makes a big difference. I skip eye makeup completely when doing this look, but curling your lashes really opens up your eyes without looking fake.

And the final thing I'll do is put on a tinted lip balm. I really like this one from Burt's Bees. The color pretty much looks the same as my natural lip color, but just adds a bit of shine and makes them look healthier. After this, I appear to not have any makeup on at all, I'm just tricking people into thinking I have even skin and naturally blushed cheeks :)

All of this takes less than five minutes to apply, and doing just this much, even though it makes such a small difference, really helps you feel more confident when you go out with "no makeup on." Then you won't feel completely naked like I do sometimes!

pardon the poor lighting, it's the best I could do ;)

Current Beauty Favorites

1. Mac Mineralize Blush in New Romance

Blush is something I always love to try new colors of and different brands, but this one has made me stop wanting to look any further. I came across it while shopping in Nordstrom and just thought it was so beautiful looking. And I'm so glad I grabbed it. It's the absolute perfect soft, peachy shade and gives such a natural-looking flush. I usually don't even like powder blushes that much because they can leave a thick, powdery finish, but this one has a slight shimmer and gives a dewey, healthy glow. I really recommend MACs Mineralize blush to anyone who wants the convince of a powder but the appearance of a cream.

2. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in plus Keratin

I received a full size sample of this product from Ulta a few months ago, and like I do with most samples I receive, I put it in a drawer and forgot about it. The only reason I tried it was because doofus me accidentally bought two shampoos from the store instead of a shampoo and a conditioner, so I had nothing to condition my hair in the shower and needed something to make my hair look smooth. I decided I would give this stuff a shot, and good thing I did, it's amazing. Even without using a rinse out conditioner, my hair looked and felt so much softer than usual. It even blow-dried smoother and curled better. This stuff really is a "miracle" and I'm so happy I was given a bottle for free or I never would've thought to try it!

3. Benefit They're Real Mascara

This stuff is the best mascara I've ever tried, hands down, and I've tried a good amount! I had heard really good things about it for a while, so I decided to give the $10 sample size a try (which I talked about a little in this post), just incase it was no good I didn't want to spend over $20. But it really amazed me. A few coats and it really looks like you're wearing false lashes. I really love the look of long, thick lashes (who doesn't?!) and this mascara really delivers. I even like to save it for more "special occasions" because I almost feel like it's a waste to use it every single day if I'm not going to be doing much. My favorite every day alternative is Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara. It's the little bit toned down (and cheaper) version of They're Real.

4. Urban Decay Chill Makeup Setting Spray

Setting spray isn't something I've even thought about using until recently, and it's quickly become an essential part of my every day makeup routine. I naturally have pretty dry skin, and a couple mists of this stuff over my makeup not only gives me a healthy, dewey glow, but it really makes my makeup last all day! Before, my makeup would start to dry up and even flake off of my face, but this really adds moisture and makes skin look nice while locking in makeup. It's also really nice to carry in your purse if you're going to be outside in the heat to spray on your face for a refreshing cool-off. Just make sure you've let your mascara dry before spraying it on or it will get everywhere!

5. Batiste Dry Shampoo

I'll be honest with you, I don't love washing my hair every day. Or every other day. It's long, and thick, and takes so long to dry and style. It's just a pain in the ass. So dry shampoo is kind of my best friend. It's so nice to go three days without washing your hair and it not show. A spritz of this stuff on your roots will absorb any oil, dirt, and smells, and makes your hair look fresh and voluminous. I've tried a few different dry shampoos and I'm really loving this one right now. Not only does it work really well, but it comes in a dark brown color for brunettes, because it's embarrassing to catch your reflection in a store window and see white powder all over your roots (not that that's ever happened to me...) It also smells awesome and is super inexpensive, I recommend this stuff so much!

So those are my most current cosmetic loves! Have you ever tried any of these? What are your top beauty products right now?

I hope you have a happy Monday!

Fun with Hair Chalk

A couple of months ago, while shopping around in Free People, I came across this little tin of hair chalk and grabbed it, thinking it would be fun to bring on our honeymoon. I love the idea of being able to have a funky hairdo for one day without any commitment! Well, doofus me completely forgot I had it until I came across it again last night, oops! So I gave it a try this morning and thought I'd share how I did it and my results!

A few things to know before you get started; the darker your hair is, the less the colors will show up. I knew this before buying it but thought I'd give it a try anyways. So it will show up best on blonds, but can still look cute on my fellow dark-haired ladies. The second thing, it will be messy. it will get all over your hands, the sink, and probably your shirt/chest, so I recommend laying down a towel to avoid it getting everywhere. But no worries if it does, it is just chalk, so it will come out (of hair, too) with just soap and water. 

Here's what you'll need:

• Hair chalk, regular pastels from a craft store work too!
• Water
• A hair brush
• A hair dryer
• A towel you don't really care about

To start, wet the section of your hair you want to color, then wet the piece of chalk you want to use, the wetter the better! Then, run the chalk over your hair going downward. Best to do this a little more than you think is necessary because some will come off in your brush. Once you've got a good amount on there, blow-dry the section of hair downward while brushing it, until dry, then add a spritz of hairspray to hold it all in. Viola! Pretty, colorful, funky hair, easy-peasy! 

Have you ever tried hair chalking? What techniques worked best for you? 

I hope you have a fab rest of your Tuesday! Xoxo 

Easy Peasy Braided Headband

I call this "easy peasy" because it is seriously one of the easiest hair styles I've ever tried! I personally prefer wearing my hair down, I feel like I look weird when it's up, so I love discovering little things like this I can do to jazz up my every day hair. It takes about five minutes and really adds a fun, springy look.

All you need for this is a couple bobby pins and a couple small elastics.

Start by pulling the top part of your hair back so you have easy access to the hair behind your ears. Then, make a small, three strand braid right behind your ear and secure it with an elastic. Do the exact same thing on the other side. Pull each braid over the top of your head and pin it down behind the opposite ear. Release the hair you pinned back and you're good to go! It can help the look to tease the hair behind the headband, and don't forget the hairspray!

I'm not used to doing tutorials, so hopefully this was easy enough to understand! If you know of any other fun hairstyles for spring, please share in the comments, I'd love to learn more :)

 

 

Benefit Cosmetics Review

A couple weeks ago, I received a message from someone asking me to do a makeup tutorial on my blog. I thought this was very odd since I never wear a lot of makeup at all. All I ever do in the morning is a light layer of foundation, under eye concealer, blush, one line of eyeliner, and mascara. It takes me about five minutes, maybe less. I've always wanted to be able to do better makeup, but figured how I did was good enough. But it really wasn't. I was rarely happy with how my makeup turned out and it was always completely gone by about 4 or 5.

One of the biggest issues I've had with makeup is finding a foundation light enough for me. I am VERY pale and the last thing I want is a line under my face looking like I'm wearing a mask. So I did a lot of research and watched a lot of Youtube tutorials and decided I wanted to give Benefit Cosmetics a try. I've always thought their packaging was so cute, and I have read a lot of good things about them! It's a little pricey compared to what I used before, but I figured (and hoped) that meant it's really good stuff and would be worth it.

Everything I purchased, and what is pictured above is:
Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer
Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation in Ivory
Erase Paste in Fair
Boi-ing Concealer in 01
Watts's Up Highlighter
Posie Tint Cheek and Lip Stain
Creaseless Cream Shadow in Bikini-Tini
They're Real! Mascara

I decided to keep my liquid eyeliner (Maybelline Line Stiletto) because I had just bought one and really like it, and MAC's Hue lipstick is my favorite, so I stuck with that too.

When first trying this makeup, I started like always with an SPF moisturizer. I then applied the primer all over. I've never used primer before because I for some reason thought it was unnecessary, but I realized DUH that's probably why my makeup doesn't last all day (and it did end up holding my makeup on SO much longer!) I then applied a layer of the foundation. It's SPF 25 and I think would work really well for anyone with dry skin like me because it has a little dew to it. The color was still a little too dark for me, so I mixed together a pump of it with my moisturizer and spread it under my chin and on my neck, which made it match pretty well! I blended it all together with a sponge after using a foundation brush to apply it. I then dabbed a little bit of the Erase Paste under my eyes. It looked really good! I have pretty dark circles under my eyes, and this stuff covered them pretty well while still looking natural. After that I used a dab of the Boi-ing concealer around the red parts of my nose. I bought this to also use on blemishes but happen to not have any at the moment, so we'll see how well it works for that! I was a little apprehensive about this cheek stain. I have only used powder blush before so thought it might look weird, but I really love this stuff! It gives such a nice, natural flush that blends in so well, and the color is perfect for my pale skin! I honestly didn't like it on my lips though and ended up wiping it off, so it'll just be for my cheeks. The highlighter was something I was really excited about and have always wanted to try. I have pretty dry skin and it looks dull sometimes, so I wanted to be able to give my face a nice glow. I applied one swipe on each cheek bone and one on the bridge of my nose. One swipe was just enough to add a little glow when the sun hit, and makes my face look more healthy and moisturized! I almost didn't buy the eye shadow because that's something I've never, ever used before, and was afraid it would be too much since I still want to look really natural. I ended up buying a very neutral creme shadow just to try it out. I like it a lot because it's so easy to apply with my finger and just evens out my eyelids. On top of that I added my usual eyeliner. Then finished with the mascara. I bought a trial-sized tube because the mascara I used before was pretty good and I didn't really see this one making a big difference, but it actually did! It works really well and I'm glad I decided to try it out!

I'm very happy with the results of this makeup, and am so glad I decided to try something new. It really makes a difference when you spend a little more money and time on your makeup, and can make you feel more confident, which I already do! I'm really glad it still looks pretty natural, and was easier than I thought to put on! I definitely recommend Benefit if you're looking for new makeup products (they also don't test on animals!). I tried to take a photo of how it turned out but had a hard time doing that, so you'll have to take my word for it ;)

Have you ever tried Benefit? What is your favorite product of theirs? How do you like to wear your makeup? I would love to hear all about it! And I hope this helped you out if you were in the same spot I was before!

xo
Cam

PS. My friend Cara over at The Marvelous Flight of Cara is giving away a KINDLE on her blog today!! Go enter and try to win!