Review: NYX Stay Matte but Not Flat Powder Foundation

Hey everyone!

I hope you're all having an amazing week so far!  I've started my summer job again (as a lifeguard), and I'm loving it! :) I've been really busy though, which is why my posts have been lacking a little! I'll try to get better! :)

Remember, there's less than a week left to enter my giveaway! You can enter it here!  It's full of Bath and Body Works Candles, NYX lip gloss and more!

Anyway, as you all probably know, NYX is one of my favorite 'drugstore' brands, but the only store I could actually find their products at was ULTA.  Well, recently, they started carrying a larger selection of NYX products, so of course I had to try some out!  I had never tried their foundations before, so that was the first thing I went for.  I grabbed a bunch of products, but I was most excited to try NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation!  

With flash

Without Flash

Unblended

Blended

So, as you can see, I've hit pan on this product.  The reason I bought this in the first place was because summer was coming, and even those like me with super dry skin can tend to get oily in the summertime (especially if you're always outside in the sun!).  I wanted something that could keep me from getting shiny.  

Although some say that during the summer it's not good to wear powdery face makeup (because if you sweat it can look cakey), I've found that wearing powder is a LOT less heavy on my skin, making it more wearable in the summer.  I've always been a fan of the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation, I wanted to try something a little less expensive and see if it works.

Price: I believe this was around $8 or $9 at ULTA, but you can also purchase it on the NYX website for $9.50.  It's pretty standardly priced for a good drugstore brand face product, I think.  

Quality:  Honestly, I think it was a little too cakey on my face during the winter and early spring, mainly because I tend to have extremely dry skin.  It has decent coverage at first application, but it is easy to build.  As summer has started and I've been in the sun & sweating more, my skin is more hydrated so the product seems to cover my skin better than when it was cakey and dry.

Alternatives: Like I mentioned earlier, the Bare Minerals Matte Foundationis my holy grail product for the summer if I'm looking for a very light, daytime matte coverage.  It is pricey though.  NYX also makes a liquid version of their Stay Matte Not Flat foundations, but I have yet to try it out!  Let me know if you do!

Overall:  This product was exceptional, but not great.  When I was primarily using the product, though, I did not have the ideal skin type (aka dry) for using a matte foundation.  Now that my skin is hydrated though, I'm enjoying the product more.  If I run out, I may repurchase for the summer just to see if I really do like it better on my non-dry skin!  Overall, I would definitely recommend this for people with shiny or oily skin, because it seems to soak up all the extra moisture on my skin!  If you have dry skin, I wouldn't recommend this for you, just because it didn't absorb the right way into my dry skin.  But, feel free to try it and let me know if it works better for you! :)

What's your favorite matte summer foundation??

Comment and let me know!

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!! <3

xo Sarah

*Find where to contact me here

Review: Pond's Dry Skin Cream

Hey everyone!  

I'm here with a review of Pond's Dry Skin Cream , which I've been using for about 2 months, since purchasing it in this haul.  I wanted to make sure I liked it before reviewing and recommending it to all of you, and I'm glad to say that I love it!  

I have extremely dry skin all over, but my face is worse than anywhere else.  I went straight for the  Pond's Dry Skin Cream because my mom always used their Cold Cream and loved it.  You can get this product at drugstores, but Amazon has packs of 3 (and singles) for a lot cheaper than at Target or something! :)

The Product: The actual product is white and creamy--like a basic white lotion--but is unscented.  It blends into your skin and is clear when you rub it in.

How I Use It/The Result: If I'm not putting my makeup on until that night or later in the afternoon I will put it on after my morning shower, but if I'm putting it on in the morning I douse my skin in this product before I go to bed.  My skin has been a lot more moisturized since I began using this product!  

Warning: ONLY use this product at night if you're going to put makeup on right when you get up!  I put it on one morning right after I got out of the shower and waited 2 hours to put on my makeup, and it still slid off a little!

Like I said, I have super dry skin so this is thick enough to make it better, so if you have oily or even just slightly dry skin, I would recommend to start off slow with small amounts--just to make sure your skin doesn't turn into an oily mess!

I'm always looking for new products to try and review, so if you want me to try anything out let me know! Also, tell me what you use as a moisturizer, I'd love more suggestions! :)

Follow for more posts! <3

xo Sarah

Eww Review: Physician's Formula Eye Makeup Remover Pads

Hey everyone!

So sorry for the lack of posts lately, school's been crazy!  I'll do my best to keep up with it though! :)  In my I'm 3 months old post on Monday, I got lots of requests to do more get the look posts (which are coming soon!!) and product reviews, so here's one, although it's not a fun one.  

Let me just start off by saying that I do not buy a product with the intention of giving it a poor review or not enjoying it.  I just felt it was only fair to all of you to share what I've experienced with some products.  I typically love Physician Formula products, I've tried their bronzers, eyeshadows, skin correctors--tons of their products! So, I figured I would really like their makeup remover pads.  

I bought them at ULTA because I needed new makeup removing pads, and I wanted to try something different.  I opened them to use them, and the first one looked fine, so I tried it out--it took off my makeup but was nothing incredible.  Personally, I would stick with the Neutrogena or Ponds Makeup Removing wipes; they're cheaper and work just as well if not better!  Anyway, I wanted to use them up and went onto the next pad taking off my makeup the following day, and this is what I found:

They had all these moldy, disgusting spots on them! EWW! I don't know if this is just because they were old (I bought them in the store, so they shouldn't have been...right?) I immediately threw them away and had to write this review...because it grossed me out!  Like I said, I usually love their cosmetic products, but this just looks disgusting.  Please comment and let me know if there's some reason these look like this!  Like I said, I don't like giving negative reviews, I just didn't think it was fair to not share this with everyone.  

Have you ever experienced this with a product?

Comment and let me know!

xo Sarah

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Review: Pond's Morning Refresh Cleansing Towelettes

Hey everyone!

Just a quick review on these new morning cleansing wipes from Pond's.  I purchased them in this haul, form target a few months ago, and I actually got a lot of comments for a review on them!  I just wanted to make sure I knew if I liked them or not before reviewing them for you. 

They come in a pack of 30, and I really like them!  They have a nice, fresh smell ("citrus and cucumber").  Before I bought the product I looked at some of the reviews, and the only negative was that they don't get all of your makeup off as well as you would expect, but because they are to be used in the MORNING, your makeup should have been taken off the night before anyway :)  I use one every morning, just to wake my skin up.  They do get off any makeup that didn't come off the night before, and they have gentle exfoliating beads on the front.  A pack of 30 only cost me $4.69, so they're also SUPER inexpensive. You can get them even cheaper here! 

* Just a little tip, any facial wipes (or any kind of wipes) you have should be stored upside down, so all the moisture doesn't go to the last wipe of the pack and the one you use now is bone dry! :)

Like I said, I use one of these every morning before I put on my morning moisturizer and my makeup.  I definitely recommend them, just for a little skin "pick me up" in the morning :)  

I'm also thinking about doing a skin care routine, so let me know if you would be interested in that! :)

Hope this was helpful!

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<3

xo Sarah

Mascara Monday: Maybelline's Falsies Review

Today I'm going to be doing a review of Maybelline's Falsies Mascara.  Like I said in my previous Mascara Monday post, I'm extremely picky about my mascara.  I don't like my lashes too clumpy, but I also hate it when they are too wispy.  Here's some pictures of the product:

Before:

After:

(one coat)

Personally, I love this mascara.  It takes anywhere from one to three coats to make it look actual false lashes, but for a quick, everyday makeup look I love the way one coat looks.  I would give it a 4/5 rating, the formula could be a little better (in my opinion).  It is a tad gunky, but it still applies well.  You can get the Maybelline Falsies Washable Mascara here, or at most drugstores.  The price ranges from around $6-$8.

Have you tried Falsies? Do you like it?

Comment and let me know what your favorite mascara is!

Follow me on here ? :)

<3

xo Sarah

Mascara Monday: L'Oreal's Voluminous Millions Lashes Mascara

Hey everyone!

I've decided to start a little segment called "Mascara Monday," when I'll review some of my favorite (and least favorite) mascaras.  So I'm here with a review on one of my favorite mascaras right now, and a ton of you all have asked me to review it, Voluminous Million Lashes from L'Oreal.  I've been using it for about a month and I love it :) It's drugstore, and you can get it everywhere from Target to Ulta to CVS/Walgreens!  Also, it's inexpensive, only about $8.99, and I love the way it works!

picture from here

Before:

 After:

This mascara leaves my lashes long and wispy, not chunky and spidery :)  I love it.  Now, let me be the first to admit that I'm a complete mascara SNOB! I'm so picky about the way my lashes look, so if I like a mascara then it means something haha ;)  I would rate this mascara very highly, 4.5/5 .  It's inexpensive, lasts all day and doesn't look clumpy.  I'd definitely recommend it! :)

Like I said, I'm a mascara snob, so I'm always trying new mascaras, so there will be lots of Mascara Monday's coming up! :)

Hope you enjoyed

<3

Review: e.l.f. Essentials Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm

Hey everyone!
So if you saw my haul from a little while ago, which you can find here, you'll know I picked up some goodies from e.l.f., or eyeslipsface.  I'm super happy to say that the e.l.f. Essentials Therapeutic Conditioning Lip Balm has superseded my expectations! I love them! They're only $1.00 each, and I got them in Strawberry Creme and Orange Creme:

These seriously are some of the most moisturizing lip balm's I've ever used.  They're almost as moisturizing as Burts Bees chapsticks, just without the minty sting.  They are good for the price, and they feel like they should cost more than they do! I really recommend these for anybody, especially those of you on a budget! 

You can get e.l.f. products at target or online, but those are the only places I know of. If you know of somewhere else that sells it let me know!! :)

Hope you enjoyed! <3

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Quick Update: What to Look For

Hey everyone!

Happy Sunday! I hope you've all had an AMAZING first day of 2012! I know I have, I've been getting some blog ideas in order and typed up, since I go back to school for spring semester on the 11th; and for me school is hectic so the more ahead I can get, the better!

I just wanted to let you guys know what will be coming up soon blog wise! :) 

I'm planning on doing some reviews, mostly on the e.l.f. products I got in this haul, along with some other face products.  I'm also going to be doing some more Style Icon posts, like the one I did on Audrey Hepburn.  I've also got some other random posts coming up, like ones about Bath and Body Works, making stained glass, school organization, etc.  So, make sure you keep checking back for more posts! :)

Have an amazing week this week!

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Much Love <3

Review: e.l.f. Eye Products

Hey everyone!

So in my recent haul, which you can see here, I picked up some of the e.l.f. (eyes lips face) cosmetics to try out while I was at target.  I'd heard of the $1.00 makeup brand before, but never tried it.  So, I decided to give it a whirl.  The first things I'm going to be reviewing are three eyeshadow quads I got, each $1.00.

"Punk Funk" 

Contains: one sparkly hot pink, one deep purple, a cobalt blue and a white-cream color for a highlight.  The purple and blue in this quad are a little messy.  They are pretty pigmented colors though.  The pink color I really love! It has glitter in it, and not just shimmer, like chunky glitter.  But, for a crazy colorful look, I think it would be great!  

"Day 2 Night"

This is the PERFECT neutral eye quad for beginners. It has colors that are great for everyday, like the highlight color and the light brown, then it has two darker colors, the dark brown and dark charcoal colors, which are perfect for a quick transition to night.

"Silver Lining"

This quad was my favorite! It has a very light rosy pink, a deep gray/silver color, a plummy purple and a highlight color.  I loved this quad, I even wore it out last night just to try it!  The colors are more pigmented than you would expect for only $1, and over a base they are even better!  I really enjoyed this quad and will probably be using it in the future!

Good: for the price these are very nice quality.  I would definitely recommend these for younger girls, beginners or simply any beauty lover on a budget.  

Bad: when you blend the colors on your eye, they fade like crazy! And, as far as I know, you can only get them at Target, so if you're not a big online shopper they may be hard to get your hands on.

Another Note: Last night I wore the Silver Lining quad on my eyes out to dinner and while I was pleasantly surprised with how it looked, when I woke up this morning I had a big swollen eye. Now, I'm not blaming the e.l.f. product, I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else or if you know why it may have happened?? Please comment and let me know! :)

Overall, I would recommend these, especially since they are so inexpensive.  The quality obviously isn't that of a department store brand, but for someone just looking for some inexpensive but good quality products, this is the way to go!

Hope you enjoyed!

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<3

Review: Conair Remington Hot Rollers

Hey everyone!

So my hair is very thick and long, and it's SO hard to curl it!  I've tried curling irons and the wand, but they just don't hold as well (maybe because i STILL don't know how to work the wand, but I'm trying!).  The only way I've been able to curl my hair and make it stay is with hot rollers:

These are not some expensive kind of hot rollers, they're just the Conair Remington hot rollers, you can get them at Target or Ulta.  

I let them heat up, until the dot on top turns white.  Then I roll small sections of my hair, using random sizes and rolling my hair in different directions to make it not look as uniform.   The box says you only have to leave them in for 15 minutes for loose curls, but I've found that with hair as long and heavy as mine is, that's not long enough.  So, I just leave them in while I get ready and when I'm ready to leave, usually about 30-45 minutes later, my hair is curly!

Now because my hair is so hard to curl, I have to use some hairspray, and I switch between Garnier Fructis and Big Sexy hairspray.  I just lightly douse my hair in spray then shake out my curls a little and I'm ready to go for the day! These curls usually last me from morning until night, but sometimes the underneath goes a little flat.

I'm trying to learn how to use the wand but I just can't get it to work for my hair! But, I'll let you all know how it goes! Hope you enjoyed!

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<3

Quick Update: Blogs that are coming, Twitter and iPad 2!

Hey everybody!

Just here with a quick update with what you can expect coming up! I'm going to be putting up a collective haul, some "back to basics" fashion looks and tips, a review on e.l.f. cosmetics, Maybelline eye makeup remover and a few other products.

Also! Just another side note, I got a twitter for this blog! It's http://twitter.com/itsagirlsblog , please go check it out! I'll be tweeting whenever I post a new blog! :) Thanks so much!

Last but not least, I got an iPad 2 today (which will be in my haul) and I'm going to be doing a review on it so let me know if there's anything you want to know about it!

Much Love <3