Makeup Monday - Spring/Summer Face 2014

So I decided to take a break from my usual reviews to give you all a peek into some of my favorite products to use when it starts to get hotter than it usually does here in LA. I mean, we don't have real weather and when we do everyone just goes crazy as if the whole world is coming to and end. But when it does heat up I really like to go with the bare minimum I need for the hot and sweaty days or just days at work in general. No need to waste good makeup all the time when your own boss only wears jeans and a Tshirt all the time. I really like to moisturize my under eyes and have really been loving almond oil for this purpose and you can check out what I have to say about it here in this post if you like. Primer is also a must no matter what and I have rediscovered the L'Oreal Perfecting Base as it does the best job at filling in my pores without clogging them followed by the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream as it evens my skin out without heavy coverage. If I am looking like a zombie (which seems to be most days) I use the Wet n Wild Cover All concealer to brighten up my bags followed by a light dusting of NYC Smooth Skin translucent Powder to set it all. I then just give my cheeks a light dusting of blush, usually Nars Orgasam. 

I am one of those unlucky girls who MUST curl their lashes and my favorite one I have  tried is the one by Revlon and followed by a coat or two of the clump crusher in a black color. I think my all time favorite thing to do is line my eyes with a eyeliner pencil then go over it with a matte gel or cream eyeliner. I like to line it first with a long lasting pencil like the one from Sephora and then I use the gel eyeliner from Forever 21 over that which is unfortunately discontinued. Any reccomendations for matte gel eyeliner would be appreciated! But when I use the gel liner over the pencil it stays on even longer and the cat eye flick is a lot more crisp and pretty! I also fill in my brows with the Anastasia Brow Powder wich is great for polishing up the look. Even if my eyebrows aren't as cleaned up as I like, outlining and filling them in make them look more polished than they really are. 

So that's what I normally wear on a hot day or on any day I don't want too much coverage. I'll also use the same routine for when I want to be a little more dressed up for work without looking overdone. If I really want to go bare bones I don't bother with the eyeliner but as it's something I've always worn since high school it's a bit hard to break the habit. Sometimes I just look in the mirror and feel naked without it. 

I know not everyone may change up their makeup routine with the season and some may not see the point in doing so but for me it feels nice to switch it up a bit sometimes. Do you oersinally feel the need for change when the seasons do or do you stick to something tried and true no matter what? 

XOX 

Veritypretty

Almond Oil for Under Eye Use

I am completely obsessed with keeping the skin around my eyes young looking and refreshed. My mom had recently told me about how shes been trying to use more natural products and about using almond oil for moisturizing around the under eye wrinkles and just areas with lines in general. She said it was good for preventing wrinkles, moisturizing, and to help grow lashes. I am not so sure about the whole growing lashes thing and neither is my mom but it doesn't hurt to be wishful. I wouldn't be able to tell anyways because I am lucky enough to already have some decent lashes going on. But what I can say is that this oil is my new saving grace. 

I think most of my readers out there would be cringing about using an oil to moisturize your skin and believe me, I did too at first. I grew up with some seriously oily and acne prone skin and to me it seemed counter productive to add more oil onto already oily skin. What I have found is that almond oil is a dry oil and gets quickly absorbed by the skin leaving behind no greasiness. I like to apply this under makeup or by itself but if youre a little afraid of diving right into it and would like to see its benefits then apply around your eyes before bedtime. 

It feels as if it plumped up the skin around my eyes but didn't fully get rid of them but, it has been easily the only thing to make a real difference in the look and feel of the skin around my eyes. I have also used the almond oil for a chapped lip remedy or right before I apply a matte lipstick for great moisturization before applying. But I beleive one of my favorite ways to use this is for my dried out cuticles. It can also be added to DIY hot oil treatments or even used to make a lip scrub. 

So if you've been looking for a good multipurpose beauty oil without a bunch of harsh chemicals you should really give almond oil a try. This one I got from Target for about $3 and has been worth every penny! 

XOX 

Veritypretty 

Wet and Wild Cover All Concealer in Light Review with Swatches

I really live for a good under eye concealer. Acne marks I don't care so much about because the one thing that makes me look beautifully refreshed is a bright under eye and it just makes my look more refreshed and awake looking. I decided to pick this Wet n Wild Cover All Concealer up at Walgreens because it was only $3 and I have never tried any of the face products before. 

I really like the doe toe applicator as it gets out the perfect amount I need to swipe right under my eyes. I chose the light color as I usually do with any brand of concealer even though I am more on the light/medium spectrum because the only thing I use concealer for is brightening and highlighting. 

You can totally tell this is my driving hand. Pretty good tan for the beginning of spring already. as you can see it is kind of opaque swiping it directly on the skin but goes to more of a medium coverage when blended. 

On the inside of my wrist you can see the yellowish undertones better. The best way to apply this on myself is to swipe a little bit underneath my eye and then take a wet beauty blender or any wet makeup sponge and bounce it on the skin. I then use the makeup sponge to apply my favorite Maybelline BB cream and blend it in to make the look seamless. This stays on for a few hours with no powder but lasts until a few hours after lunch if you do set with powder. It stays on even longer with my NYX setting spray over the setting powder.  I prefer to use this as part of a normal everyday look when I just want my skin to look even and refreshed and the cheap price tag makes it a great everyday basic. 

What's your favorite drugstore everyday under eye concealer? Let me know int he comments below! 

XOX

Veritypretty