Concealer review: MAC Select Moisturecover Cache-Cernes

There are two main reasons a great concealer is a must for me: first off I'm a teenager and I have oily skin (aka the perfect formula for horrible breakouts) which means I always need a good cover; second of all I go to school. This means I usually don't wear foundation as it can be a bit too much and so a good concealer is needed to make up for the lack of cover foundation would normally provide.

Recently (while looking through the stash of nice cosmetics my mom stupidly ignores) I found MAC Selcet Moisturecover Cache-Cernes concealer in NW20. This shade is a bit darker than my natural skin tone which made me reluctant to use it, however I did really want to try a high end concealer and I'm really glad I did.

The Good:

Since this is supposed to be a moisturizing concealer the formula is really creamy. I really like this characteristic because it makes the product pleasant to apply and, most importantly, the concealed area doesn't end up looking dry and flakey (which many other concealer will do). It is also really easy to blend (I use my finger which works perfectly fine) and when it's blended I don't even realize that it's too dark for my skin tone. My favorite things about this though is that it's pretty long lasting; if I set it with powder it will stay on most of the day.

The Bad:

Mac claims that this concealer is a moisturizer,and even though it does feel nice on the skin, it hasn't actually made any difference to me. If you are actually looking for a moisturizing concealer, this is not for you. My only other fault with this is the actual coverage: it does the job well but not as good as another concealer could.

To Summarize:

I really like this concealer because it has a nice creamy formula, it's easy to blend, and it's long lasting. However it does not moisturize (as the company claims) and it doesn't have the best coverage. Over all it's a really nice concealer and I'm really enjoying using it but it's not the perfect concealer.

Have you ever tried this concealer?

What did you think? Is it your perfect match

Or have you found something better?

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer Review

If you know me you'll know that my must have makeup item is concealer. I'm crazy about it; I will honestly refuse to leave the house without concealer on. Unfortunately though it's one of those products that is extremely difficult to find peace with: does the perfect concealer exist? That's my question for the world. I'm still searching the world for the perfect concealer but in the mean time the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer is my go to under eye product.

Maybelline instant age rewind eraser dark circles in shade "fair Clair"

I do not suffer from horrible under eye circles (though they aren't invisible) and I'm obviously not in need of an age rewind treatment as I am a teenager however I have been loving this concealer. It was first recommended to me by a friend and I was very skeptical due to the very unhygienic looking sponge applicator. However I did try it once at her house and loved it. The concealer applied so smoothly and actually had really nice coverage.

The Good:
The sponge applicator makes it easy to apply and usually produces the right amount of product (to get the product out you twist the top and the concealer is pushed onto the sponge applicator). I also find the coverage is good and long lasting. I apply this in the morning over moisturizers skin and set it with powder and when I get home from school my under eye circles are still well covered. It also gives off a pretty radiant glow to make me look more awake which I really like since, as I've previously mentioned, I look like a zombie in the morning. Another quality I really enjoy about this product is its light weight formula; I don't even feel it on my skin.

The Bad:
Though the sponge makes it easy to apply the product I do have doubts about it's hygiene. Maybelline does claim that the sponge is made to keep itself clean, which I'm sure to some extend it does, but the sponge ends up looking dirty after a while. Another defect is that the product finishes very quickly; I've had mine for a few months and it's almost done (I do use it almost every day though for a couple of weeks I ignored it). However it is a drugstore brand so it is pretty affordable. The last thing I don't like about it is that it can give the skin a bit of a flakey appearance; this is very easily avoidable as long as one moisturizers before application however I would not recommended it to people with dry skin.

Would I recommend this?
Yes I really like it! I would tell people with dry skin to avoid it and people with a darker skin tone (as it lacks darker shades).

Have you ever tried this concealer? 

What did you think of it?

Wish list: face edition

The beauty community is always buzzing with new products so it's no surprise that some of us new bloggers get a bit left behind. This face edition wish list is products that many people have long since raved about but that I still desperately want to try!

 

1) Real Techniques Buffing Brush

So many beauty bloggers like Zoella and Tanya Burr have raved about this brush and since the first time I heard about it I've wanted to get my hands on it! It's technically a powdered foundation brush but most reviews state that's it's also great for liquid foundation, which is what I'm planning to use it for. Everybody says it's great for blending foundation into the skin, and personally I also think it's very stylish. The only doubt I have about this brush is that I'm afraid it's only sold in a pack. If this is the case I think I'm going to have to settle for the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush- I've heard really good things about this too but not as many as the buffing brush.

 2) Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer 

This concealer (also raved about by Zoella and Tanya Burr) is an under eye concealer that states to give off a radiant "awake" glow. Since the horrid school system forces me to wake up way too early five out of the seven days a week, I usually look like a zombie when I get up. I'm hoping this concealer will make me look radiant rather than like a corpse that's just been dug up. In other words I'm super excited about this product and, if does what it claims to, I'm sure it's going to become one of my favorite products ever.

3) Taaj Eau Micellaire Makeup Remover

Apparently micellaire water is the miracle worker of the makeup removing industry, and since my current makeup remover is practically useless, this is in my must haves. This product is supposed to remove even water proof mascara with just a sweep of the hand; I really hope it lives up to its standards because leaving makeup on is extremely irritating and really bad for your skin.

BYOBoy nail polish review (sephora by OPI)

*rings: (1)mid rings- urban outfitters (2)a gift (3)elephant ring: brandy Melville (4)brandy Melville 

I'm not a big "nail person" but a few nights ago I decided to go through my old nail polish collection and brighten up my nails. One nail polish stood out to me right away due to its perfect autumn color. It was Saphora's (by OPI) vernis à ongles nail colour in BYOBoy. Though the name is odd and hard to pronounce the nail polish in itself is wonderful.
First of all the color is really pleasant. I would describe it as a "medium rose" or "deep pink/red" almost maroon but not quite; anyway a perfect fall color. Seeing it in the bottle I thought it was going to be very opaque but in truth it turned out quite bright and deep at the same time.
The best thing about it, however, wasn't the color but the application. I'm horrible at painting my nails! The nail polish usually doesn't respect my nail boundaries and often expands to my finger and the part that does end up on the nail always looks messy. With this nail polish however the application process was easy and quick. The brush was easy to control and the strokes were neat and in place. Personally I thought it looked nice with only one layer which is perfect for anybody in a rush, however I added a second one to obtain a richer color and I got just that. The nail polish also seems long lasting (though I've only had it on for a few days so it's early to tell) but so far I have no chipped nails and the color still maintains it's bright glow.
I bought my bottle a few years ago but I just went online to the Saphora website and it's still available and actually currently on sale for $4.50 which I think is a bargain for such a nice nail polish and a real deal compared to saphora's usually very expensive prices! As an added bonus to the already nice nail polish the bottle is also very stylish in my opinion and a good size.
*random nail painting tip: if like me you hate waiting for your nail polish to dry you should place your hands in ice water after painting your nails as it helps set the nail polish quicker. In my opinion the cold water pain is worth it.

The Autumn Tag

As I was browsing blogs I came up on a post titled "the autumn tag". Now if you're a big blog reader you've probably already heard about it, but if you haven't than here's what it is. This tag is a collection of questions to get us into the fall spirit. In my opinion October is the "automniest" month and therefore the perfect time to do this tag. Hope you enjoy and want to try it yourself!

1) Favourite Thing About It
In my opinion the best things about fall are the colors! The deep oranges, "crunchy" browns, and maroon-ish reds are simply gorgeous! During the fall I always find myself admiring the color of the leaves and of people's outfits. However my favorite autumn activity is just cuddling under a blanket reading a book, watching a video, or blogging while drinking hot chocolate or tea. And of course we can't forget about fall shopping sprees!

2) Favourite Drink
Autumn calls for hot drinks which I think are sooo relaxing, not to mention yummy. I can't really choose my favorites as to me a drink has to reflect a mood, however my three favorites are hot chocolate, tea, and cappuccinos.

3) Favorite Scent
Definately something either vanilla related or a bit spicy (even though nothing too spice as I feel that's too strong). A good, and bit strange alternative, that I discovered this year is "firewood scented" (obviously for a candle not a perfume) which I actually quite like as I find it's very relaxing and the smell kind of reminds me of honey.

4) Best Lipstick
I actually have two right now: one from a drug store brand and one from a pricier brand. The drugstore choice is Rimmel London's Lasting Finish by Kate in 112. It's a really well pigmented, easy to apply deep brown color. My other favorite is Flair by Nars. This one is a nice red with a bit of sparkles.
(I'm sorry I would love to include pictures but I'm having technical difficulties however I do advice you to search the two up on google as they are simply gorgeous and perfect for fall)

5) Go to Moisturiser?
I don't actually have a preferred lotion during the fall. Actually I've been finding myself applying baby oil instead of cream after my showers as I feel it makes my skin feel super soft and ready for bed. Sorry!

6) Go to Color for the Eyes?
Since I'm in school I tend not to wear much eye makeup, mostly just a bit of eyeliner and mascara, however I think browns (especially smokey) look amazing in autumn!

7) Favorite Music/Band to Listen to?
Again I don't have a set answer for this but it's always something that goes with my mood.

8) Favorite Outfit to Wear?
For autumn I'm all about the big sweaters! A nice over size sweater or cardigan or even hoody with a cute but simple shirt underneath. For my legs usually leggings or skinny jeans, I tend not to like dresses or skirts as I find tights to be extremely annoying. To finish off the look either a big scarf, a cute hat, or a nice statement necklace.

9) Autumn Treat
I think autumn is the perfect time for any kind of treat (except ice cream maybe). I usually like to satisfy my sweet tooth with a brownie, a crum cake, or a coffee cake (or better yet a coffee crum cake..yum!)

10) Favorite Place to Be?
My bed! I think slouching on my bed under a blanket feels like paradise in autumn, especially if there are candles lit around me.

Starting a blog/ zoella

I never thought I'd be the kind of person to sit down on my bed on a Saturday night and share my opinions on the internet. I guess I've always been fascinated with people who are able to do so, people who aren't afraid of judgement, people that aren't afraid to put their mark on the world (no matter how small this mark might be). And yet here I am, during this autumn evening, typing away on my phone (my laptop is not working) finally joining in this new community, ready to make myself be heard. Not that I believe anybody will read this but that doesn't matter because as I've learned from blogger and YouTuber Zoella that doesn't matter. A blog is a personal space that's meant to reflect who you are, and though I don't in fact have a clue of who I am, I'm planning to use this space as a self discovery journal.

I'm actually glad I've mentioned Zoella as she is a MASSIVE reason as to why I've started my blog. I fist stumbled upon the beauty blogger on YouTube about a month ago. Now I do realize that I'm extremely late in this discovery but that is due to the fact that I've only really started using YouTube this summer when I left my life in New York to begin a new one in Rome. Since I was alone I turned to youtubers to make me laugh and well...make me feel not so alone. Zoella did just that plus she opened up my eyes to two brand new worlds: blogs and beauty.

Over the last month she's became a huge inspiration on my life. She seems like such a sweet, genuine, funny person and watching her videos became my daily routine. Though I'm not the "girliest" girl I found myself loving all her beauty talk and she's got me excited to try so many things. Thanks to her I've found the will to make this blog and also the passion for beauty. Hopefully once I get more informed on all this beauty community I'll be able to review some products and hopefully help somebody like Zoe helped me.

I'm sorry for rambling on so long but that's just what I do: give me a topic and I'll just go on and on. I'm so excited I'm already loving blogging I think I'll feel right at home on this blog! If anybody ever reads this please leave me a comment and we can become best friends!

Love eva...

*sorry for the lack of pictures