First Look| Year of the Haul 2014

Happy Year of the Horse! I had a great weekend full of eating, drinking, and general debauchery. Of course, I went home with zero "li xi" money....ain't nobody gonna give a grown ass working woman money for good luck.

I did, however, find the time to go shopping over the holiday weekend. And with a hangover! I give mad props to myself for even getting out of bed, much less drag myself to the mall to do some exchanges. (Shopping online for button up shirts when you're busty? Never a good idea.) I stopped inside the JCP to see if I could pick up some staples for the summer and did indeed find what I needed.

Make Up For Ever's Duo Mat Powder Foundation ($34 retail) was an out of the blue find, since I've heard rumors that it was being discontinued long ago. Like their Pro Finish powder, you can use it as a foundation with a sponge or set another product with it using a brush. Based on rave reviews claiming it sucks more oil up from the face than frying eggs after bacon, I knew I had to have it. 207 Golden Beige looked perfectly yellow under store lighting, but I quickly discovered it was a tad too dark for my current skintone (more for NC40.) It's nbd, since I'm not too oily now.

I also picked up another Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Ro(cocoa) ($25 retail) since I love the formulation and want an alternative to black when tightlining all around the eyes. Needless to say, the staying power is phenomenal. The color itself seems like a drab brown but flashes metallic in the right light.

Then, I bit the bullet and committed to the full size of Benefit's They're Real mascara ($23 retail.) The trick with this one is:
 a. have already long lashes (thanks to Latisse, not mom)
b. use a sweeping motion rather than wiggling the wand and
c. layer the second coat almost immediately after the first and curl. 

It makes my lashes pack a punch without being crunchy, flakey, or clumpy. I especially love it for my bottom lashes as well. The best part is that it's not waterproof even though it holds up so well during the day, so you can remove it with ease.I'm hoping it won't dry out on me too quickly, as the formula is on the drier side.

As for me, summer is practically here, so a new bronzer was a "must have." Enter Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil bronzer ($30 retail).  Yup, the chocolate scent didn't win me over the first time I purchased Milk Chocolate, but this time the scent is much lighter and the medium/deep color will work for NC35. I gave my first Soleil to my mom to help her contour since these have no shimmer or glitter. The powder kicks slightly, but I use the least dense brush I have when working with this one.

Speaking of Too Faced, their La Crème lipsticks ($22 retail) have converted me! I picked up Taffy (pink marshmallow nude) and Juicy Melons (pink coral) this time to be Muji drawer buddies with my current Spice Spice Baby (pinky brown MLBB). The formulation is the least drying I have ever tried (and dare I say moisturizing) and doesn't feather or smudge. The color collection is also very cute yet professional, making these perfect for work.

As for the Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Wear Makeup ($49 retail) and Bare Minerals Matte Foundation ($27 retail), watch out for separate reviews coming later. I actually purchased these two online a few weeks ago rather than in person. They are both contending to be the top spot for my summer base routine, and I want to see how they both perform over a week to have a resolute opinion.

I'm coming down with the flu (again...) so I may be MIA for the weekend, but I will work on getting a FOTD/review/application up for the Diorskin foundation. Keep your eyes peeled!

XO, Be