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Savy’s Most Savvy: 2013

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Best of Beauty 2013

Best of Beauty 2013


Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Holiday Season! Chris and I had a great December hanging with family and friends, cuddling with our dogs, giving and receiving presents and eating yummy food.

Now that the holiday madness is over and everything is back to normal, I thought it would be fun to do a little year-end review talking about all the fun makeup items I loved the most in the past year. So without further ado, here are Savy’s Most Savvy of 2013:

Foundation: Inglot YSM FoundationI’ve talked about this before. I pretty much love everything about this foundation. The finish is great, the lasting power amazing, it blends easily and doesn’t feel heavy. Plus, it’s super affordable. What’s not to love?

Concealer: Collection Lasting Perfection ConcealerI’m hesitant to name this as my fave because it’s only available in the UK but it has been my Holy Grail concealer since I picked it up overseas in June. This stuff is super full coverage, has a beautiful creamy texture and doesn’t crease on my undereye area. If anyone is heading to the UK any time soon, pick me up some! I’ll take shade fair or light! Thanks in advance! I’m holding on to what I have left of my tube like it’s GOLD!

Powder: Too Faced Primed and Poreless Loose PowderThis stuff will make your face feel like silk. I’m always a skeptic about products that say they are going to ‘blur’ and ‘eliminate the appearance of..’ but this one is legit. Dust this on as a setting powder over your makeup and it will make whatever foundation you are using look that much better. And since it’s translucent, it’s not going to make you look cakey or change the color of your makeup.

Blush: Illamasqua Naked Rose
Illamasqua makes a mean blush. For some reason, my biggest problem product always seems to be blush. I always seem to have problems with blending or getting an even distribution of color. Illamasqua gets it done every time and the color Naked Rose is one I think you could wear with any makeup look.

Bronzer: NYC Sunny Bronzer
The best probably $4 I spent this year. It’s pretty much the perfect bronzer. It’s matte but blends well and doesn’t have too much red in it so it doesn’t turn pale me into an Oompa Loompa!

Highlighter: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
These Hourglass Powders are luxe. They are so finely milled and smooth that they add a little something special without being BAM! highlight. The Luminous Light shade is my favorite to add to the tops of my cheekbones for a beautiful glow.

Liner: Tarte SmolderEyes Skinny LinersThese are a gem. I’m forever on the hunt for a good liner and these get it done. They glide on like a dream and will not budge. The black Onyx shade in particular is SUPER black and longwearing. Who doesn’t need a great eyeliner?

Mascara: Tie: Cover Girl Clump Crusher & Mally Volumizing MascaraI just really don’t think that you could go wrong with either one of these. I have the Cover Girl in Brown for when I want a more ‘natural’ look but still want my lashes to have some ‘umph’ and I’m completely out of my tube of Mally so that should tell you something if it ran out before drying up!

Palette: Lorac ProI recommend this palette to anyone whenever they ask me for a recommendation on palettes. It’s really got everything. An entire row of mattes, and entire row of shimmers, all the neutrals you need, great blending colors, and a couple of subtle colors. Plus, the pigmentation and butteryness of these shadows can’t be beat. I don’t know of anyone who I have recommended this to that has been disappointed.

Lips: Anything in a jumbo lip crayon format
I just can’t get enough of lip products in a jumbo crayon form. It’s just way too easy to have a lipstick in crayon form so that you can get right to the edge of the lips without a liner. Precision is key, my friends. There are tons of brands that have a product like this but my favorites are from Tarte and Jordana.

Favorite New Brand Discovery: The BalmThe Balm is a brand that I have discovered this year and it has left me wondering where it’s been all my life. Their shadows and blushes are standouts in the line but I’ve been impressed with everything that I’ve tried so far. The brand also branches into skin and haircare and I’ve recently picked up some shampoo and conditioner that I’m eager to try. The Balm is frequently featured on Hautelook so keep an eye out for good deals. As an added bonus to their fab products, their packaging is SUPER adorable. I highly recommend checking out some things.

Beauty Resolutions for 2014:
-Establish and stick to a solid skincare regimen. I have so many skin care products and gadgets I need to use but I always tend to get lazy and use a makeup wipe and call it a night. I’m going to see to it that all of these products and devices get the love and attention they deserve in the coming year.

-Shop my stash. After IMATS next week, I’m putting myself on a serious makeup no buy. Particularly on foundations and mascaras. I need to get through what I have so I can enjoy some new goodies. It’ll be hard…but I’m going to do the best I can!

-Keep learning, building my business and blogging. I want 2014 the year where I really get serious about my makeup work. I want to get new clients, do more jobs and generally get better at what I do. I’ve been freelancing for about 7 years now for fun but I’d like to make it more of a priority and focus in the coming year. And, of course, continue to pass some of my knowledge onto you, my dear readers!!!

What are some of your favorite products of 2013? I want to know! Also, do you have any ‘Beauty Resolutions’ you are going to ‘try’ to stick to? Are you as nuts as me about makeup and have to put yourself on a product no buy?

Here’s to a BEAUTIFUL and SAVVY 2014!!!

June Favorites

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June Faves

June Faves


Since we are halfway(!) through the year, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on some of the makeup products and tools that I have been getting some good, hard use out of in the past month. I think it’s only proper to give a shout out to the things that have been helping me be the most fierce lately.

Inglot YSM Foundation: I know I just picked this up on my recent trip to Ireland but I can already tell you it’s going to be my favorite foundation. I can’t lie, I don’t think I had a favorite foundation before this…but I do now and I see myself repurchasing it for quite some time. Love the finish, love the lasting power, love the coverage. Love it!

NYX Push-Up Bra for Eyebrows: Silly Name. Awesome Product. I find most brow pencils to be either too hard or too soft. But I’m telling you Goldilocks would use this pencil because it’s Just Right. It also doesn’t have too much red in it, which is another problem with brown brow pencils. The highlighter end, like I said before, is a dupe for Benefit High Beam which is a product I’ve used and loved for a long time.

Cream Products for Face: There are so many cream products that I’ve been using for my face that it was hard for me to pick a specific one. I love using cream blushes/bronzers/highlighters during the Summer for that fresh Summer Glow! They are especially awesome when you have a bit of a tan. Some specific ones to mention are Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan and the ELF All Over Color Sticks.

Makeup Setting Sprays: I live in Texas. It’s hot. I sweat. A lot. Not a good combination of factors for lasting makeup. Setting Sprays to the rescue. A mist from one of these bad boys give my makeup at least a fighting chance in the Texas Heat. I’ve been using ELF Makeup Mist & Set, Urban Decay All-Nighter, and NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray

Dishonorable Mention: ELF Triple Tip Waterproof Eyeliner Pen. I Love ELF. 9 times out of 10 their products are ah-mazing and perform as good if not better than their high end counter-part. And for a mere fraction of the price. This let me down. It looked like a dupe for the Too Faced 3 Way Eyeliner Pen, which I have and love. The Too Faced is $22 while the ELF Pen is $2. I’m sold! I should have known we were in trouble when the tip of the pen was hard….like scratch my eye hard. How can a felt tip pen be so hard?, I asked. But for only $2, I perservered. It applied ok, other than the hardness, but after I finished my whole face, I noticed that the inner corner of my upper lash line was creeping. Creeping up. Creeping to where eyeliner need not be. My eyes were not watery either. So I did an experiement where I put a swatch on my hand and let it sit. Then I wet my finger and rubbed across it. NOT. WATERPROOF. Sadly, that was the end for ELF’s poor little Waterproof Eyeliner Pen and he will now live out his days in the trash bin.

Ireland/Scotland Haul!

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Hauling

Hauling


Husband and I were in The UK/Ireland for 10 glorious days. The scenery, the beer, the climate, the accents, the tartan…and of course, the cosmetics! I had made a list of things that I definitely wanted and managed to track those down (and more) on a quick trip to Boots. I had also wanted to try out some Inglot products so I made it a point to track one of those down in Dublin. I’m actually SERIOUSLY loving some of the products that I picked up…like…may have become new favorites, loving.

Here’s an overview of what I got:

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and Concealer: I know we have Rimmel in the States but this foundation is not available here, as far as I’ve seen. I have fairly dry skin and don’t care much for really matte foundations and I must say that the finish on this is just gorgeous. It claims to have an Anti-Fatigue Effect and Radiant Glow. I’m not so sure about Anti-Fatigue but it sure has a great glowy finish. Savy likes.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: I had heard nothing but raves about this product and I tell you what, it does not disappoint. SUPER coverage, not cakey, long wearing, perfect.

Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick in Pink Bronze: This was an impulse purchase. The color was real pretty and it reminded me of the Physician’s Formula Shimmer Bricks that I love. The product is a little chalky but the color is just as gorgeous as I thought it would be. A great Summer highlight.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Yummy Plum and Half Naked: I’m pretty sure you can get these in Sephora but I spotted them and HAD to have them because of the name. Plus: They are like a party on your lips. The plumping tingling is like nothing I’ve ever felt. I’m a little obsessed.

Inglot YSM Foundation: Seriously my new favorite foundation. It’s great for all skin types, has a great natural finish, and lasts like a dream. Pretty much everything you want in a foundation. There are a few Inglot stores in the US, but nowhere near me and their website is a little bit of a mess to navigate. I decided to check the stuff out in person in Dublin and I seriously wanted everything but I settled for the Foundation and:

Inglot Freedom System Eye Shadow Palette with Shadows: These are great shadows. Greatly pigmented and easy to blend. They have a crazy amount of colors and at only $6/shadow, they are super affordable. You can either buy them individually to put them in something like a Z Palette or get their Freedom Palettes that come in all kind of configurations. More. Needed.

Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang: Let’s have a moment of silence for the other Apocalips that I purchased but some how managed to not make it back with me! šŸ˜¦ BUT! All is not lost because right when I got home, I discovered that they released them here in the US at Walgreens under the name Rimmel Show Offs. I can’t lie, I like the name Apocalips better! But seriously, my new fave lip product! The pigment of a lipstick with the feeling and shine of a gloss. Go get you some!

Urban Decay We Don’t Do Animal Testing Palette: I picked this up in the Duty Free Shop on the ferry to Scotland mostly because of the cute packaging. Apparently it’s a kind of old palette but UD Shadows are pretty good and something that I don’t have too much of. The Palette included a half size Zero 24/7 liner and a mini Primer Potion. The 6 Shadow Palette includes: Mink, Urb, Gunmetal, Twice Baked, Smog and Half Baked. Pretty Stuff!

We Don't Test on Animals Palette

We Don’t Test on Animals Palette

Bonus Body Product: Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash: This stuff smells like key lime pie…that’s pretty much all I have to say.

So there are my UK Goodies that I was so excited about I had to share! If you guys are close to an Inglot store, I highly recommend going and checking out their products. From what I’ve tried, the products are amazing and VERY reasonably priced.

I miss the British Isles already!