Trying Out Revlon PhotoReady Foundation...

I’m in love…with another product that is! This time, it is a foundation. Revlon has caught my attention with their new, light catching foundation, PhotoReady. I was taken by the packaging first and foremost. This has to be one of the only drugstore foundations that I have ever found with a pump & attractive glass bottle. The pump allows for controlled product distribution and says “Good-bye” to the mess their traditional Colorstay foundation can create. It easily dispenses a small amount or large, which is great, considering I mix these foundations.

The reason I mix the foundation, isn’t because I can’t find a color that is perfect for my skin tone, it is because of the super shimmer finish of this formula. Since I have started getting older, I prefer a more matte finish to my skin so anytime a foundation has light reflective properties, I tend to add in a more matte foundation to tone it down a bit. At first, I added some of the Rimmel Stay Matte foundation and it worked wonderfully. However, I wanted to lighten the Revlon color a little, so last week, when Revlon Foundation was on BOGO at CVS, I picked up a lighter hue of their Colorstay and one of the lightest versions of the PhotoReady. I mixed in the Colorstay and had fabulous results with the finish and the staying power was tremendous!

I ended up getting one of the lighter shades of the PhotoReady foundation, to highlight. When I have a great deal of time to work on my makeup, I like to apply a lighter-than-my-skin tone shade to the high planes of my face including my nose, cheekbones, and forehead. I also like to apply these lighter shades over my under eye concealer to brighten that area even more. I have found the light-reflective finish in this foundation has been perfect for this application meshing together two steps (foundation application and highlighting) into one, which cuts down on time. Time management…something I am always working to perfect!

You all know that I have issues with acne and keeping my skin clear. (Not such a daunting task since I started using Proactiv again, but breakouts CAN & WILL occur if I use the wrong products.) When I first tried this foundation, it felt a little greasy before it was set with powder, so I thought it would break me out and I would be out another $13. However, I have had no issues. During that normal, aggravating time of the month I did, but I don’t attribute that to this foundation at all. I

 do find this foundation to be buildable if I let it sit in between “layers”. The colors I have used have all turned out to be very bendable and mixable. There are only about 8 shades in this line, so you may end up having to purchase two colors to get an exact match or to adjust the color as you begin to get some sun now that we are going into spring and summer. (Only the third day of spring and here, it is only about 40 degrees! WTF?) Never fear, Revlon does BOGO on foundation all the time so you won’t have to pay full price for two!

I have yet to do a proper comparison to MAC Mineralize Satinfinish, but I will because I feel the finishes might replicate one another. Right now, I know that there is no comparison when it comes to smell. The MAC foundation has a stronger, “foundation” smell (you know what I am talking about) where as the PhotoReady has no strong smell that I can speak of. I really like that because I REALLY hate smelling THAT smell all day!

If you are in the market for a new foundation for those summer night outtings, you may want to try this one. It goes on pretty sheer for a typical foundation and does not feel heavy or cakey at all. Plus, with an SPF of 20 you are going to get the sun protection we all need in the spring and summer months! I am a huge advocate for wearing and layering SPF to protect the sensitive skin on your face. If you want color on your face….get it out of the bottle! It’s SAFER!

(I did get the PhotoReady Powder as well. If you guys would like to see a review on this product, I will happily do one!  I will be picking up the translucent version as well since I recently ran out of the translucent powder I had.  So, just let me know in the comments below or feel free to email me.)

**I give the Revlon PhotoReady Foundation ($13.96 @ CVS) 4 out of 5 stars**

BBLL - Check 'em Out!

Over at theNotice, Rae shares an amazingly pigmented bright blue eye -- done with shadows from the drugstore!



This week, Louise gets an (almost!) exclusive look at a Lancome mascara that has them queuing down the aisles in Harrods, and promises better lashes in a month.



Yinnie Dances with the fairies with her fairy inspired EOTD.



Phyrra dishes with Britton from Haus of Gloi for this month's Indie Spotlight at Fresco Phyrra.


Blaq Vixen Beauty decides to treat her skin to a Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Regimen!



Retrodiva checks out three new innovative drugstore foundations. See which ones she would recommend!


Krasey Beauty takes a trip across the pond to bring you complete swatches and a review of MAC's newest, Give Me Liberty of London.



Looking for a great cream eyeliner that won't break the bank? Lipglossiping may have just the thing...



Sophie from melovemakeup talks about how much she loves Trilogy's Everything Balm.

TheLipPrint adds a little more Allure to her life with Chanel.

Michelle at Lipstick Rules laments her Liberty Of London lipstick purchases... but then finds a way to make it work!

Check out the swatches of Yummy Mummy by butter LONDON at Makeup4All.


Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed falls in love with the 10 year anniverary editions of Lancôme Juicy Tubes!

Follow Jellyminx's step-by-step tutorial for a pinky-coral look for Spring.


Over at Music and Make Up, Jo celebrates her birthday with a purple smokey eye courtesy of MAC's Violet Pigment.



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Beautywoome has a giveaway with Europe's coolest new beauty brand. Win 1 of 10 Ellis Faas Ellis Red lipsticks.

Audrey Dao is giving away $89 worth of Napolean Perdis makeup as part of her 1 year blog anniversary.

Mz More at The Glamorous Gleam is having a giveaway in honor of her 200+ Followers. Check out the goodies galore!


Cindy from Prime Beauty gives you the Golden Ticket to win a Bliss "Best of Bliss Set".



Hope you enjoyed this week's Link Love! See you soon :)

MAKE SURE TO CHECK THIS COUPON CODE OUT AT ELF ONLINE! 

• This can be used on the first $15 in your shopping cart, which is all gravy to me! 
• The offer expires April 15, 2010.
• Cannot be combined with any other offers!

Happy shopping honies!  I hope you all had a wonderful St. Patricks Day!

Not Much...

To report that is.  I have been extremely sick and am now without full time use of a computer...which is totally lame and VERY hard for me!  I treat my YouTube Channel & Blog as a second job and not being able to come and update or work on the two sites daily is starting to wear on me!  I am unsure of when I will be back up and running with a full time computer again, but until then, I will make sure to post as much as I can and upload when possible.  I am still continuing with the giveaway for this quarter.  Next quarter is pending at the moment.  I may not go on with next quarter's giveaway to give me some time to get a computer back in my hands.  That way, you guys are not getting the short end of the stick.  But, right now, that is not set in stone.

I hate that this has happened.  It is now the second time since I opened both of my sites, making it just as difficult as before to keep information flowing as usual.  Hopefully, updates are appreciated and hopefully you all understand where I am at the moment.  Once my tax return is in hand, I will hopefully get a hold of another computer and be back in business!  *fingers crossed on that one*

So, until next time, I wish you all well and I will do my very best to get something, of worth, posted here and on my channel for your viewing pleasure! 

I am looking for suggestions on laptops.  I would love a MAC, but yeah, that won't happen.  I am hoping to keep the set up under $600 or so.  I will need a sort of entertainment/editing capable computer as I am sure you have figured out!  LOL...so if any of you guys have any ideas on what I should look at...leave it in the comments below!  I always value suggestions of other consumers!

Much love always!

An Apology...

To all my beautiful followers (old and new)...for me not being around this past 5 days or so.  I have been terribly ill and just now, today, opened my email and blog for the first time since Saturday morning.  I had over 100 unread emails and know that there has been no love show to my poor, pittiful blog or YouTube channel either.  I am starting to get my strength back today and back at work.  Hopefully, I will be back to normal asap so I can get things back on track in all my internet outlets.

So, stay tuned for answers to your comments, quesitons, requests and so on.  I have to get one final prize for the giveaway for the end of March and I will be posting that prize video for your viewing pleasure.  I also have a requested video I am going to try and do tonight, since I have been asked multiple times to do it...my most favorite pairs of shoes.  :)  Keep an eye out for all that to come on my YouTube channel as well as some new things here.

If you are not already a follower or subscriber here an on my YT channel, make sure to do so so you can participate in the giveaway at the end of this month.  I will repost the rules and regs in the next day or two for any new comers we have!  :)

Thanks for all your support and love! 

BBLL - Showin Some Link Love!

Over at theNotice, Rae talks about the "LOL Scarf" (aka the MAC Liberty of London scarf,) and wonders why the heck anyone would spend $115 on it!

Head over to Beautifully Glossy to read what GlossQueen has to say about Diorshow's Iconic Mascara.

Curious to see how the Purple Lab Silk Sheets Luxe Foundation measures up? Blaq Vixen Beauty has the scoop!

Arianne of Glitter Geek is still in a makeup rut, so she tries to fight back with smoky blue eyeshadows!

Krasey Beauty gets acquainted with the new Chanel Rouge Coco lipsticks, and promptly falls in love.



Hot Beauty Health shares hot hair color trends to wear in 2010.

Jeweled Thumb asks the age old question: "Would you like some lip gloss with those oysters?" Wait, what?

Jellyminx Thinks is featured on Makeup.com, thanks to the lovely people at Lancome.

Lights...Camera...Action! Mz. More at The Glamorous Gleam gets ready for her close up as she reviews the new HD foundation from Revlon.


Vex in the City unveils swatches in all their pastel glory from Revlon Spring 2010.

Christelle at Beauty Crazed uses Mary Kay to shut down her shine!

Beauty Woo Me wants you to stop making that Duckface!

Ever wanted to know the differences between the Beauty Blender and it's dupes? Hell Candy Make Up did! Read her reviews here.

On her hunt for the perfect scent, TheLipPrint discovers an indie gem - Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal and Vintage Rose.

Coral is the hottest colour for Spring and Summer. Discover the perfect coral lipstick in Over by Illamasqua with Makeup4All!



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Help Audrey Dao celebrate her 1 year blog anniversary with giveaways all month long!


Prime Beauty asks "What's your favorite eyeliner?" and gives away a Stila Mini Smudge Pot Collection.




Hope you enjoyed this week's Link Love! See you soon :)

NOTD: OPI & Essie Layering Combo

Lavendar nails are SO in this season, so I wanted to share with you guys my absolute most favorite purple pastel out there!  It is "Do You Lilac It?" by OPI (Brights Collection).  Number one, OPI polish is one of my favorite brands, mostly because of the colors they come out with.  This color is so creamy and goes on like a dream.  The finish is super shiney and smooth, but you know me, I love my shimmer!  LOL...I had to mess with the creaminess a LITTLE bit!

Following 2 coats of the "Do You Lilac It?", I added one thin coat of Essie's Nude Beach.  This polish is a sheer, irridescent cream color and created a stunning effect on my nails.  I wish you could see it better in the photo!  It really looked great in the sunlight.  (This photo was taken right after I painted my nails...before cleanup...at about 2 am!)  I personally think this sheer color would add interest to any cream polish. 

Of course, as always, I added 2 coats of Seche Vite over the layers of polish as well.  This DIY mani has stayed on now for 5 days!  I am a firm believer in "You pay for what you get" and these polishes are no exception!  BUT...I got the OPI polish on a buy 3 get one free and the Essie polish was a find at TJMaxx on the clearance rack for $0.70!!!!  No, that is NOT a type-o!  I got 6 polishes for that price last week when I went bargain hunting there.  Talk about a deal!

What are your favorite poiish combos?  Are there any you think I should try specifically?  What are the OPI colors you can't live without?  I am in the market to purchase a few more OPI shades and can't quite make up my mind!

Products For Rimming: What I Use & What Works

Once I was introduced to the whole rimming the eye technique, I was hooked.  (For anyone that doesn't know, tightlining/rimming is when you apply a liner/color to the inner portion of your lashline, 'shelf', closest to your eye.  You MUST be VERY careful when utilizing this technique and keep in mind that it is not for everyone.  Some people's eyes are just too sensitive to do this to.)  Whether in color or simple black or brown, I think it really completes your entire look, creating the look of fuller lashes, larger eyes, or whiter whites.  There are just so many possibilities and SO many products to choose from.  But, I am telling you, if you haven't tried this, you really should, just once.  I had a friend that had only rimmed her lower lashes and never her upper.  When I did her uppers for her one day, I think she was pretty impressed by how different it made her eyes look...more sultry and sexy with the colors we had applied.

"What do you use to do this though?" you ask?  There are a plethera of products on the market you can try and below, I have outlined my experiences with each I have tried.  I would say, you should choose your product according to how watery your eyes are.  Mine are pretty sensitive as well, because I wear contacts, so these products are REALLY
put to the test with me!  If they can stay for more than an hour...we have a winner!  There are a couple of additional tricks I will include for you at the end of the post.  Some ways I have found will make the color last a bit longer.  Now, on to the products!

The star ratings below are NOT for the actual product itself...it is for the staying power.  I adore all of the products below and couldn't live without any of them.  I also feel the products themselves are worth MORE than 5 stars overall!

MAC Eye Kohl: My favorite is Smolder, but I do have other colors like Fascinating & Hot Poppy.  I have always had GREAT luck with these pencils in my waterline...especially using my eye shadow trick (below).  I can normally go about 6-7 hours without having to touch up using this pencil, which is phenomenal in my book.  I really HATE touching up makeup when I am at work.  Now, I have found that when my eyes are the most watery, it dosn't last quite as long and begins fading on the shelf area closes to the eye and in the corners.  This product is very rich and creamy so it will smudge easily if you are not careful.  Setting is your best form of smudge prevention!  4 STARS

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner: Very comparable to MAC Fluidline, in my opinion.  However, the claims are that it is waterproof, 24 hour color, yeah right!  Well, IT IS...amazingly enough!  I have to say this is the drugstore product that I am most impressed with at the moment (next to the Revlon Photoready Foundation & Powder).  I, of course, use it as a normal gel liner creating a flawless wing and line on my upper lash line, but I have also used it in my waterline for additional drama.  (I kept the brush that comes with it and use that for tightlining sometimes.)  Only on RARE occassions do I see any loss of color from this product.  Generally, only when I rub my eyes...NOT even when I have cried (no running)!  I have set it with shadow before and got even LONGER wear out of it.  It is just a PUNK to have to take off!  I recommend a remover with oil in it.  The Lasting Drama Gel Liner is definately a product you want to try, just BE CAREFUL!  5 STARS

MAC Powerpoint:  This was the first MAC eye liner I purchased.  It was recommended to me because I was looking for a liner that was soft and wouldn't tug on my skin.  This is a great liner and it is said to be waterproof.  However, I don't feel that is so.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE these liners, but they have really crummy staying power in MY waterline. (This is why I took a star away!)  I have tried a multitude of different ways to try & make it stay to no avail.  It will stay for about 3-4 hours max, then I am in the ladies room reapplying.  I have started using these liners mostly as a base under my shadow instead of a shadow stick to make colors appear more vibrant.  I love using it as a regular old liner on my lashline and on my lower lashline because the Powerpoint liner will smudge easily and glide on effortlessly providing lasting color in these areas.  *Idea:  Apply these liners on your lashline as a base for glitter, pigments, or shimmery shadows for a glowing effect!  3 STARS

Stila Eye Kajal: Tiffany D was the first person I saw using the Stila Kajal...in her waterline.  Since I trust her reviews & thoughts on makeup, I HAD to get my hands on one to try for myself!  I compare it to the MAC Powerpoint in look, however, it is MUCH creamier.  The ease of application is amazing...the staying power...pretty good.  I have found setting it will make it last a bit longer though.  It is not an all day wear, but I can get through lunch time until about mid afternoon with it.  If you are looking for the softest pencil, well EVER, this is the one you should grab up!  They come in tons of colors including an actual nude shade that is perfect for making your eyes look larger.  I have created entire smokey eye looks with one of these pencils.  They are also so soft that you can apply to a brush and use the product like a cream liner.  I absolutely adore these liners for tightlining!  Again, not great staying power, but a killer product so only 4 STARS

Urban Decay 24-7 Liner:  I acquired the UD 24-7 Liner Super Stash from a wonderful seller on the Makeup Geek Forum.  It was so exciting to get this since I had never tried these liners and all I heard was fabulous buzz about them!  These liners come in SO many colors and there are tons of applications they can be used for.  Today, we are talking about rimming, so on to my experience with that!  It was hard to step away from my MAC Kohl, but I gave in one day and did it.  I rimmed my eyes with Zero (the black color) and that is it.  I didn't set it with anything so I could see what the outcome would be on me.  Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that well.  The staying power was minimal...it was midmorning and I was having to touch up.  I will say, though, that when it started to fade, it was an even fade and didn't end up looking all crazy!  I also didn't end up with that gunky build up around my tear duct...THAT was a plus!  I DO love these liners and I will continue using them in my waterline, but with no expectations.  3 STARS

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils:  You may not think to use a shadow pencil in your waterline, but it works and the NYX Pencils are no exception.  I don't know how I ever survived makeup before these little gems!  I mean, primer, shadow, liner, blush, lipstick, all wrapped up into one...how could you go wrong???!!!  If you don't own one...GET ONE!!!  I always have one in my bag and the day I had to substitue the Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean for my usual Kohl Liner, because I left it at home, I wasn't too disappointed.  No, the staying power on its own was NOT flawless, but when I set it with a shadow, it did stay longer.  Plus, tons of colors will ensure that you always have a liner that will match your eye look!  3 STARS

I have continued my quest for the perfect liners for the waterline and will continue to update you all on what I find.  Staying power is always going to be the catch with me.  All these companies claim that their pencil is waterproof, and for the most part they are...but when I put them on my waterline...they aren't!!!  I have always applied them to my hand at the beginning of the day...just to see how they will do in comparisson to my eye...and the color on my hand WILL stay all day.  So, what's the deal and the difference in my eye?  Is it the fact that the water is a different composition?  Are companies testing actual tears or a substance that is similar prior to stating that they are waterproof IN THE EYE? 

Seriously, that conversation could go on forever, so I have come up with a couple of ways you can get your liner to actually stay longer in your waterline...beyond having the supposed perfect product.  Applying a primer to that area has worked for me.  However, my eyes are VERY sensitive so this is not always an option.  Plus, you may not want to do this...some people just have an aversion to applying makeup products THAT close to their eyes.  My one, sure fire way, to make liners stay in my waterline is to set that liner with a powder shadow or pigment.  Not only will you get the additonal staying power, but you can end up with some really killer effects!  Applying certain shadows over a Kohl Liner will create an all new look/color.  (The MAC Starflash Colors are an example...I will be doing a post on this topic soon.)  Also, applying a shadow with glitter will allow the glitter to actually show up!  I like to apply MAC Beauty Marked over Smolder Eye Kohl in my waterline.  The glitter actually stays and the effect is phenomenal!

Now...I want to know from YOU!  What do you use in your waterline??  What have you used and what works best?  What type of issues do you deal with...are your eyes sensitive, watery, do you have allergies?  Are there any ways that you go about helping your products stay?  If so, let me know and I will include your tip in one of my YouTube 'Quick Tip' videos with you as the contributor!  If there is a product I didn't mention above that you think I should try, let me know!!!  I LOVE trying new things and reporting my findings and you KNOW I will always tell you exactly how it is!

As always...your comments will enter you into my quarterly giveaway GOING ON NOW!  Prize video to be uploaded next week with the drawing being on April 1st! 

REVLON BOGO!

This week, CVS & Rite Aid have Revlon on BOGO!  You should definately go pick up some things!  If you haven't tried the Photoready Foundation yet, grab some of that with the Photoready Translucent powder...that stuff is KILLER!  They have also released some pro length brushes that are only $10-$12.  I like Revlon brushes and I am planning to get the foundation brush as one of my BOGO items. 

If you decide to shop, let us know what you get!  Make sure to check out CVS, Walgreens, & RiteAid's websites to see all the other deals they have as well!  I mentioned Revlon because it was the best, but I know there are other items some of you guys may be interested in!  :)