*May/June* 2012 Beauty Favorites

Main Items That I use Everyday:

Top: Mark Showcase Color & Clutch Palette (meetmark.com) I've been absolutely loving the bronzer/blush combo paired along with the peach highlighter over top.  I contour my cheekbones with the bronzer first.  Then, I will apply the blush over top and then the highlighter or visa versa.  Sometimes I will just use the bronzer and highlighter.  The quality is amazing.  The pigmentation is buildable, with the right brush.  When I use my Avon Bronzer brush, it goes on less pigmented (but blends amazingly), and when I used my Eco Tools blush brush, I get more pigmentation (love that brush!).  The formula is smooth and easy to blend. I also really love the eye shadows by Mark.  The colors in this palette are perfect for an everyday neutral eye, which is great for school and work.  My favorite shadows from this palette are the gold (top left) and the bronze shade (bottom right, above the blush).  

Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush Foundation *Rich Ginger* : HG Status!! Perfect for Summer! This is so lightweight but has good coverage & is buildable without looking cakey.  It is a unique and pretty cool texture.  It comes out like a foam/mousse but blends out like a liquid.  I'm on my 3rd bottle of this stuff. That really shows how much I like it, because I usually don't like a foundation enough to actually finish 1 bottle, let alone three! (This is the only foundation that I've actually finished a full bottle of! I have TONS of foundations in my collection that aren't even close to being finished because I don't like them enough to use them everyday.)  I usually wear this one everyday to work.  When I want more coverage and a more matte (not completely matte) finish, I go with the MAC Matchmaster.

MAC Matchmaster Foundation *5*: My perfect shade ever!  This is the best color match that I've tried yet.  Even the Revlon PhotoReady isn't the "perfect" match.  It's actually a tad bit darker than the rest of my face, but when it's blended out, it works well because it matches my neck.  The Matchmaster blends perfectly and conforms to my natural skintone.  This foundation is said to "use translucent pigments to enable a personalized finished influenced by your skin's own undertone".  I really feel like this foundation lives up to MAC's claims.  I have no foundation line with this foundation.  It blends in perfectly.  It's not orange on me like the Pro Longwear was.  If you are around NC40-42 in MAC, shade 5.0 will be great for you.  It has a neutral undertone, which I love.  It's not too cool or too warm.  My skintone is neutral, so this suits me really well.  It's a demi-matte finish.  The coverage is really good in my opinion.  It covers flaws really well, without looking cakey or overly made up.  It doesn't feel heavy like the Studio Fix Fluid or even the Pro Longwear, that I've tried.  Whenever I need or want more coverage than my beloved Revlon Photoready Airbrush gives me, I reach for this & it never fails me. 

MAC My Highland Honey Blush:  *Limited Edition*  I can kick myself for not purchasing a backup.  This is from MAC's 2010 Holiday Collection.  However, I didn't use it too much when I first got it.  I've been using it a lot this past year.  I use this daily over top of bronzer.  It's the perfect everyday neutral cheek color.  Great for work or school, when you don't want to overdo it.  Great for a dramatic eye or lip.  It's a true peach, which I love.  A lot of "peach" blushes end up coming off as peachy pink on me.  This doesn't pull pink at all.  It's not super pigmented, but I like that about it.  I have a heavy hand when it comes to blush.  So, I can layer this without it being overdone or looking clownish.  As you call can see from the dip in the pan, I've been using this a lot.  I sometimes will switch things up and use a pink blush.  Other than that, I use this almost everyday.  I really wish MAC would repromote this or bring it back to be a permanent item.  Still looking for a dupe (Illamasqua Lover maybe?).  

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer *Park Ave Princess* (not the matte version): I personally do not care much for Matte bronzers.  I've tried Benefit's Hoola and didn't care for it.  I'm not pale by any means, but Hoola still looked muddy on me when I tried contouring with it.  I like bronzers with shimmer.  This is a really great brown toned bronzer with golden shimmers.  I love contouring with this.  I use it on my cheek bones to contour and down my nose.  I use this almost everyday, when I'm not using the Mark bronzer.  I actually prefer this and use it more than the Mark because it's darker.  I had the sample for 2 yrs and finally ran out.  I didn't hesitate to go and get the full size of this.  A little goes a long way, so this will last for a while. Definitely worth the price! 

I usually throw on a light pink lip color, such as Revlon's Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake or Avon's   new Glow Lipgloss in Sunset (light pink with golden shimmers & non-sticky!). Other days, I will just throw on my Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss or Maybelline's Born With It Lipstick when I want a nude lip.