Maybelline Fit Me concealer vs. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

The beauty world has been buzzing about the new NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I wanted to see how it held up to a drugstore concealer, specifically Maybelline's Fit Me concealer. I watched a YouTube video (by Makeup Geek if you're wondering) comparing the two, so I thought I'd pick them both up to see if I agreed with the findings.

The Maybelline Fit Me concealer retails at CVS for $6.99 and you get .23 fluid ounce of product. The NARS concealer retails at Sephora for $28 and you get .22 fluid ounce of product. On the Maybelline website the concealer comes in 6 shades, while the Nars concealer comes in 10 shades. I have shade 15 Fair in the Maybelline and Vanilla in the Nars. Both products are a good color match for me, and in both ranges there is 1 shade lighter (although I've never seen the lightest shade of the Maybelline in stores). I would say that the Maybelline is a touch deeper than the Nars, and if I ever saw the lighter shade in stores I would probably try it out.

The main difference I find between these two is the consistency of the product. The Maybelline has more of a fluid consistency, while the Nars, true to it's namesake, is creamier. I find that both of the products blend and cover nicely, but the Nars you have to blend very quickly as it tends to dry a bit faster. The Maybelline works ok to blend out with your fingers, but the coverage is better if you blend it out with a brush. The Nars can be blended with your fingers, but I wouldn't recommend it, as it dries so quickly and is so creamy it responds better to a brush. The Nars seems to last longer throughout the day, but the difference between the two in terms of lasting power is very hard to notice. When I was testing them out I wore one under my left eye and the other under my right eye. Side by side you don't notice any difference, and at the end of the day it was hard to see any difference, but the Nars was holding up a bit better. In terms of actual coverage I would say, due to the creaminess, the Nars covers a bit well without as much product. But, the Maybelline one can be built up to the same coverage, but it just takes slightly more product.

Bottom line for me is that the Nars out performs the Maybelline by just the tiniest of bits. If the price point is something that's important for you (it is for me, as I buy drugstore products more often than high end), the Maybelline is an excellent concealer and one I will re-purchase (probably in the lighter shade to test out). However, the Nars is just kind of perfect and definitely worth the splurge. Have you guys tried them out? What do you think?

Nars on top swatch, Maybelline on bottom

 

Random Thoughts:

Finally tried out Gunshow (restaurant in Atlanta) such an awesome concept for a restaurant, I really enjoyed everything about the experience.

I've been trying to cook more at home, trying out new recipes. I really enjoy cooking, but cooking for 2 people is sometimes hard. Anyone have any recipes they want to share??

 

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Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation

I was quite surprised when I walked into Rite-Aid looking for a specific product only sold there and saw this new foundation. The Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder was something I'd not seen or heard of before. I watch a lot of YouTube beauty channels, and it's pretty rare that I haven't heard of something before I see it in the store. Rite-Aid's aren't as prevalent in my part of town as CVS, and I was happy to see that they had a great selection of products I'd been searching for elsewhere.

The Loreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder foundation comes in a glass bottle and contains .9 fluid ounces of product. I bought the lightest shade 310 Light Ivory. This product contains SPF 18, which isn't enough for me but I guess is better than nothing. When you shake the bottle you can hear that it's very liquidy. I can say without hesitation that I do not like the packaging. I wonder since the product is so fluid if it couldn't have been put in a pump bottle for some reason. With this foundation you have to either pour a small amount into a dish (it would run off of a flat surface), or dab it onto your finger then apply it to your face in dots. It's hard to say what would be a better packaging option, but I find myself having to do lots of dabs.

Aside from the packaging, I really like this foundation. It really does feel like magic. It comes out as a liquid but as soon as you blend it onto your skin it feels like magic. I won't say it feels like powder exactly, but almost like velvet or cashmere. It really sinks into your skin well, and doesn't leave any sort of cakey finish. The foundation is a little sheer, but very buildable and natural. Your own skin shows through the foundation, but it evens out your skin tone nicely. The product smells vaguely of alcohol, but I only notice it if I smell straight from the bottle. I threw away my receipt, but I believe I purchased this product for $12. I couldn't find it on the Rite-Aid website, but on the Target website it retails for $10.99 and says it is not sold in stores. I will say the lightest shade I found in the store, 310 light ivory, was a bit too orangey for my skin tone. I wouldn't say it's a deal breaker, but it's not a perfect match. On the Target website there are 11 options for colors, but I don't see the shade I bought listed. This is confusing to me, I didn't realize different stores would carry different shades.

I have applied this several different ways. It's a little hard to explain, I know I keep repeating "magic", but it disappears almost instantly when you blend it in. I've used my Urban Decay blurring brush (which is my go to application for foundation), and it was fine. I also applied using my fingers and had similar results. Like I mentioned before this is a light to medium coverage but pretty buildable. I do follow up with a concealer in my problems errors, which are my cheeks that have a lot of redness, and my dark circles.

Overall, I think this is a great foundation for summer. It really feels like your skin can breathe, and your own skin shows through a little bit more than other foundations I've tried. I think I would re-purchase this product. If you guys have any questions are comments, please leave them below and I'd be happy to get back to you.

 

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PM Skin Care Routine

Some days I feel too exhausted to even take my makeup off at the end of the day, but I always force myself to. I'm constantly searching for new skin care products and trying new things, but I have a few standards I always find myself going back to. My skincare routine differs from day to night. What about yours?

I'm usually trying out a new makeup remover because I'm never overly impressed with my current choice. Right now I'm using the new Maybeline Clean Express The Flash Clean Makeup Removing Lotion (I bought mine at Target for $4.99). I swear they're constantly making product names longer. I usually choose one of those makeup removing solutions that are more fluid and appear separated, then you shake them up before using them. This line also has one of those types of removers, but I thought I'd try something new. For some reason I don't like the lotion as much. It does an ok job removing face makeup, but I feel like I have to scrub a little harder to remove mascara and liquid eyeliner. I don't think I'll be repurchasing this product, but I will try the liquid version after I finish this.

So after removing my makeup I move onto cleansing. To cleanse my face I use my Clarisonic Mia. It's a small machine that uses vibrations to clean your face. The cleanser I'm using right now is by Boscia and it's their Purifying Cleansing Gel. I received this as a gift for Christmas, but you can find it at Sephora where it retails for $26. I'm nearing the end of the bottle and will not be repurchasing this. I find the price tag a bit steep for something that didn't provide me any notable changes in my skin. The next product I use is a toner by the company Boots called expert sensitive gentle refreshing toner. You can find this and other Boots products at your local Target. This toner retails for $4.19 for quite a bit of product. This differs from a lot of toners in that it's alcohol free. I have a lot of redness in my skin, so products made for sensitive skin tend to work well on my skin. Toners are meant to follow cleansers to make sure all your products are thoroughly removed from your skin. I simply spray this on a cotton pad and sweep it over my entire face.

The final steps of my process are eye cream and moisturizer My current eye cream is the Yes to Cucumbers Eye Love Cucumbers Eye Gel and can be found at CVS for $14.99. I've never paid so much for a product that I feel does absolutely nothing. I don't find it helps my dark circles, my fine lines, or hydrating my eye area. You get quite a large amount and I feel like I'll be trying to use it up forever. The moisturizer I'm using was also a gift for Christmas and it was the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial (retails at Sephora for $48). Sadly this is another product I won't be repurchasing. It gets rave reviews and claims to brighten your complexion. I found the smell of rose too overwhelming, and also found it didn't sink into the skin well. I am trying to use it up, but might end up giving the rest to a friend.

That was a recap of my PM skin care routine. Do you all have similar routines? If you'd like a more in depth review of any of the products I mentioned above please let me know.

 

Random Thoughts:

* Gunshow (new restaurant) recently opened and I can't wait to check it out.

* My dog is getting older and I notice it more each day. This is very hard to see.

* I'd love to enjoy my patio more, but it seems after I clean all the bird poop off daily it is quickly replaced with a new delivery.

 

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Daytime Skin Care Routine

The past few years I've tried to force myself to take better care of my skin. Growing up, and into my early 20's, I hardly even washed my face at the end of the day. But now I try to take care of my skin, and that means trying new products and figuring out what exactly works best for my face. My skin care routines, both day and night, are constantly changing in small ways. I have a few products I always go back to, but for the most part I try to test out new things. Not to mention that my skin changes throughout the year. In the warmer months I find it's a bit oilier, and in winter I need a little extra moisture in my skin so use a thicker moisturizer. I thought I'd write a little about what I'm currently using and let you guys know if I plan to re-purchase any of the products.

Before I put on my makeup, or even days I skip my makeup, I start by cleansing my face. Because I do a more thorough cleansing in the evenings, I cleanse my face in the morning with Bioderma. Bioderma is a cleansing water. This is the first type of cleansing water I've tried. It cleanses your face without any detergents or irritations. It is a French product and isn't available for purchase at stores (as far as I know), I got mine on Amazon where it retails for $27.01. They do sell other types of cleansing waters at Sephora, and I've heard from others they are comparable. I even saw one at Target yesterday by No. 7 Boots. This product also removes makeup, so can be used at night to take off your products. Bioderma comes in the regular version, which is what I have, and also comes in a version for sensitive skin. It has no fragrance, and looks and feels just like water. I simply take a cotton pad, put a little Bioderma on it, and sweep it over my face. After this I use my eye cream. Right now I'm using up a sample of Origins GinZing eye cream. I got this in a sample pack from Sephora, and have to say I don't think I'll be re-purchasing. I have horrible dark circles, and I really need an eye cream more focused on that. I don't feel as if this would be worth the price ($30) to repurchase. My daytime moisturizer is one of my holy grail products. I use Clinique's Moisture Surge and have to say it's absolutely amazing. I have been using this for years and years. The price point is high, it retails for $37, but a jar of it lasts me a very long time. This is the only moisturizer I've found that truly sinks into the skin effortlessly and quickly. It leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth and never greasy. After that I'm ready to put on my makeup for the day

I'd love to know what products you guys use to keep your skin in shape. If you all would like to see a more in depth review on any of the products that I've mentioned above please let me know. Check in on a later post to see what products I'm using in my PM skin care routine. Thanks for reading!

 

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Welcome!

Hello everyone, and thanks for taking time out to read my blog. I wanted to use this first entry as a way to introduce myself and let you guys know a little bit about what I'll be sharing.

So first of all, my name is Jeny, and while I'm not a professional in the beauty industry, you could say I have a moderate to severe obsession with anything beauty related. I started a youtube channel a few years back and have enjoyed sharing my thoughts with other beauty obsessed friends. If you want to check that out you can find me at www.youtube.com/pinkplease

On my blog you can expect to see reviews on beauty products, you might see some guest appearances from my friends seeking help with makeup, and makeup tutorials. If there's something you'd like to see a review on just leave me a comment and I'll try my best to get on it.

Other than beauty related topics, which is definitely what I'll be focusing on, you might see me sharing some other tidbits about my life. I really appreciate you reading and hopefully we'll learn together.

 

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My Favorite Spring Nail Polishes

How often do ya'll change your nail polish? For me it's about once a week (or whenever my polish starts chipping off). While I enjoy going to get my nails done, I usually end up doing them myself. Something about the process reminds me of my grandmother teaching me how to take care of my nails and painting them for me when I was a little girl. Spring is a great time to experiment with some color! Since spring fashion trends are very colorful, why not get a little adventurous with your nails? I typically like to paint 9 of my nails one color and have a "bonus nail" for a little pop (usually glitter of some sort). If you're just starting to experiment with fun colors, try painting 9 of them a neutral and use the "bonus nail" as a great pop of color. Below you'll find my favorite nail polishes for spring.

 

The first two polishes I want to talk about are from the Essie Resort Collection which came out this year. The collection has four polishes, but I only bought two of them. The first one is a lovely green shade called First Timer. Mint green seems to have been a big trend last year, and this year it's become an even bigger trend. First timer is a bit deeper and brighter than the traditional mint green polish. It would be a great option if you wanted to do some Ombre nails with another mint polish. The other color I bought was In The Cab-ana. This is a beautiful robin's egg blue shade, that is bright. I bought both of these shades at Walgreens and they retail for $8.00 a bottle, but if you're on the lookout you can sometimes find a buy one get one free deal. Both of the swatches below are with 2 coats of polish.

The next two polishes I want to tell ya'll about are by Wet and Wild. Wet and Wild is a drugstore brand of makeup that has really stepped up their game in recent years. These polishes are in the Megalast collection. I typically purchase these at CVS where they retail for an amazing $1.99 a bottle. I have quite a few of these polishes and am always impressed with the quality you get from these for the price. The first color I want to tell you about is 218A I Need a Refresh-Mint and it's a great mint green shade. The next color is a nice bubblegum pink color called 209C Candy-licious. These polishes apply very evenly and come with what they called Manicurve Pro Brush. This brush is a bit wider than most other nail polishes, and allows for a pretty even distribution of product. Both of the swatches below are with 2 coats of polish.

Neon is a huge trend this Spring and that includes nails! Milani is another drugstore brand of makeup that makes great products for reasonable prices. I find their nail polishes to be very pigmented and often they need only 1 coat to get a true color, but the neon colors are a bit more sheer so two coats would be best. The two shades I'm going to be showing you are from the neon line. The first one is a neon yellow called 503 Totally 80's. This one can be hard to get an even color (which most yellow polishes are notorious for), and so 3 coats is best. If you let each coat dry before applying the next, it's easier to avoid stickiness. The other shade is neon orange is is called 502 Awesome Orange. This is a bit more opaque and you can get nice even coverage with 2 coats. Yellow polish shown with 3 coats, orange polish with 2 coats.

Refreshmint: 2 coats

Refreshmint: 2 coats

I hope you all found some inspiration for your spring time nails. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite colors are for spring.

 

 

Random Thoughts:

* I'm so excited for the warmer weather we're getting, but I hate the rainy days. I guess we need a good balance of both to wash away the pollen.

* For some crazy reason I really want to plant a lemon tree. I live in an apartment so it would have to be in a pot. I've never planted anything before, so needless to say I have some concerns.

* My birthday is coming up! While a lot of people don't seem to make a big deal out of their birthdays as they get older, I love celebrating my with friends. Every year I have a costume party, because only dressing up once a year for Halloween is never enough.

 

 

 

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