I love the Benefit Hoola Bronzer. For well over a year I have used this magical bronzer almost daily and loved the beautiful effect it gave my normally sallow skin. I was skeptical that I would ever like another bronzer as much, but I have found one AND it is a drug store dupe!!! OK, I won’t keep you waiting….it is the Milani finishing powder in 06 Medium Tan.
Each of these bronzers have an exceptional color that gives gorgeous depth without being orange or muddy. They both go on smooth and give a natural glow and provide depth when you need to contour. As for the packaging, I could go either way. The Milani compact comes with a mirror which can be helpful but the brush on the Milani powder is awful. I do like the sturdiness of the box that houses the Hoola bronzer and I have really been liking the brush that comes with it as well. All in all with a $20 price difference, I am going to stick with the Milani powder for now. Here are some swatches so you can compare:
HERE THEY ARE OPEN…
SWATCH (NO BLENDING)…
SWATCH (BLENDED)…
When I was younger I used Vaseline all the time – as an eye makeup remover, to moisturize, as a gloss. Somewhere along the way I lost my way with this magical jelly and I feel like I have been reunited with a long lost love.
Read more for my favorite ways to use Vaseline:
- Vaseline is a great eye makeup remover. Simply smooth over your eye and gently work the formula in. You will have clean, moisturized eyes in no time. I have also heard that this is a great way to keep your lashes long. I
- For use as a night gel on eyes. I love to put my night eye cream on and then gently pat a bit of Vaseline over the cream. My eyes still absorb the vitamins from the night cream, however with the addition of the Vaseline, I wake up with eyes feeling ultra hydrated.
- Most of us know the old trick of slathering your feet with Vaseline, putting on socks and then falling asleep. I have done this trick several times and it works amazingly well. One addition I have is to put a drop of an essential oil such as lavender to the Vaseline as you are massaging the jelly into your feet. This adds the feeling of a spa like experience.
- I got this tip from Michelle Phan’s website. She recommends adding Vaseline to your pulse points just before spritizing on your perfume for a longer lasting scent. I have tried this and it definitely works!
- I am a lip gloss junkie. That said, there are certain colors of lipstick that I can’t live without. Vaseline is my staple gloss to slather on lips when I need a clear gloss to give my favorite lipstick some oomph and shine.
- If you wake up with chaffed lips and need a quick remedy, try this: slather vaseline on your lips and lightly brush them with a soft bristled toothbrush. Bye, bye chapped lips and hello lusciousness!
- Apply the tiniest amount of Vaseline to fingertips when you are looking to tame away those pesky flyways.
- Apply to the very ends of your hair for the look of hair that is shiny and split end free.
- Have you ever had a bottle of nail polish where you can’t unscrew the cap? For some reason this always happens on my top coat polishes…not anymore though. I simply swipe some Vaseline around the lip and they never get stuck.
- And one of my favorites is to slather Vaseline on body parts that naturally get very rough easily right before a spray tan to prevent streaks. Just slather on backs of ankles, knees and hands to stop those unwanted streaks.
I have exceptionally sensitive skin. Due to this I am often leery of trying new products and have steered clear of trying any new BB Creams. When I am looking for a natural look for the weekends, I currently have a Nars tinted moisturizer that does the trick. Well, one day while perusing the aisles of Walgreen’s I came across the Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase BB Cream. I was sucked in by the Kinerase name and figured I would give this a try.
The claims of this cream are widespread and include the following:
- Evens skin tone for a more radiant complexion
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes
- Skin looks brighter and more vibrant
- Skin feels soft and hydrated
- Visibly extend skin’s youthful expression by improving its defense.
I don’t see this as a life changing or holy grail item for me, but I will definitely use the bottle up and might repurchase if there is a good sale or if I am in a pinch.
Here is a swatch of the product:
Here is the product rubbed in, it offers very sheer coverage:
I love a good deal and I am no different when it comes to makeup. In many cases I feel that makeup products you find at the drugstore are equivalent (and sometimes even better) to department store brands.
I have had my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette which retails for $27 for for a while now. I use it regularly and have been really happy with it. Great pigmentation, super smooth application and the colors are very rich. However, since I am always on a hunt for a great dupe, when I saw the NYX Naturals Eyeshadow Palette on Nordstrom.com for $7, I decided to order it. Here are some images and comparisons of the two palettes:
Below are swatches of the NYX Naturals Palette. I swatched the four colors from darkest up to the more peachy color. I ran my fingers at the exact same pressure as the Urban Decay paletete.
I am a highlighter junkie. One Sunday morning I was perusing the newspaper and saw a circular for Ulta that featured their new Naked Skin Urban Decay Naked Highlighter which retails for $29. I simply couldn’t resist so I decided to purchase.
A few days later my package arrived and I tore into it. Immediately I noticed a pronounced shimmer-very fine glitter. Some highlighters contain glitter however I prefer a sheer, glowing look and was a little scared off, at first. Here is an image of the product packaging:
The Pretty:
– Packaging is very nice
– Finely milled powder is very good quality and goes on smoothly
– The product has the effect of a loose, shimmery powder that is generally found in a loose formula so this
one is good for traveling.
– The swatch reminds me of a slightly lighter MAC’s Soft & Gentle. If you are a fan of Soft &
Gentle, chances are you will like this.
The Not-So Pretty:
– There is glitter. Although there isn’t a strong presence of glitter it is there and I did find some when using on my face. So if this scares you off, you may want to stay away.
– Excellent for travel as there is no chance of having this explode like a loose powder
I am going to keep this item because the color is pretty and I will use it when I want a little extra glow from my highlighter. However on a daily basis, I am going to stick with one of my staple highlighters for daily use which are MAC’s Lightscape or Benefit’s Hight Beam which both offer an excellent glow without any shimmer.
Here are some images of my favorite celebrity looks that have definitely utilized the “magic” of highlighter. See more on Glaamspot!
