Author: Carina

5 Things Friday: Cleansers on Rotation

Does anyone else enjoy rotating “regular” products? I assume this is the reason why I haven’t been able to gather enough empties at one time for a video. I like variety and I like using different products instead of sticking to one—and this is the reason for my failed minimalist dreams. Ahem. Here are five cleansers currently in my rotation right now. I’m lucky that my skin kind of bounces back from tantrums really quickly, but if yours tends to need a bit of time to regulate and recalibrate itself, I would advise against using different cleansers at one time.

January Favorites: 2015

So, I haven’t done these in a while, but I thought it would be a good video to start the year with! I always enjoy making videos, so I’m not sure why I don’t do them more often. In any case, here are my favorites for January. If you don’t want to hear what I have to say about the products, here’s a straight-up list of faves: NYX Powder Blush in Taupe // Ellis Faas Concealer in S204* // MAKE Matte Eyeshadow in Khaki* // NARS Sheer Glow in Punjab // Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium // Sigma F86 Brush (Tapered Kabuki)** // Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette // Diptyque Vetyverio A pretty straightforward list, yeah? It’s kinda boring, but also filled with holy grail products. Do share what you’ve been loving lately. I’d love to know and live vicariously through you! * PR Sample, ** PR Sample + affiliate link Follow me: Bloglovin’ • Twitter • Instagram • YouTube • Facebook

Oil Love You

HEH, sorry about the title. Today’s post is about facial oils! I’ve been using them for about six months or so, and I just wanted to sort of talk about what I have and when I like to use them. If you’ve been curious about these oils, read on!

Two for the Show

I don’t know about you, but nights out strike fear into the part of my heart that gives a shit about how I look. I don’t usually glam up when there’s a special occasion because I don’t like drawing attention to myself, but if you need a quick face upgrade—just so people think you actually made an effort—here are two MAKE items worth looking into. The MAKE Custom Effects in Matte/Dew is a small compact that’s easily tucked into your clutch or handbag. It’s got one side to mattify your face, and another to add a little bit of dewiness. The products are more on the cream side—definitely not a powder—with the matte side similar to the feel of a silicone primer, and the dewy side similar to a really hard balm. It doesn’t catch the light the way highlighters do, but it gives your face a healthy-looking dewiness. The effect is a less-shiny, more glowy version of you! Everyone loves a red lip, and when you’re out of options and time, the MAKE Silk …

FOTD: Basic Face

My friend Chard’s tweet was about how it was sad that “basic” is now used to mean something negative, and I agree! I, for one, tend to go for mostly basics when it comes to clothes, and though I love colors in my make-up, I tend to reach for my basics the most. Anyway, here’s a basic face for ya. I had to do office stuff + bank stuff, so I obviously wasn’t going to wear vampy~ lips or a smoky eye. Haha. I mean, I could have, but I didn’t. So there.

Toss or Keep No. 1: Foundations and Bases

Taking a leaf out of Rae’s sensible tree, I decided to do a “Toss or Keep” as well, rounding up all of my tinted bases to see which ones I could probably do without. Also, to remind myself that I don’t need another foundation, for crying out loud! I have tinted moisturizers and foundations, BB Creams, etc. but I didn’t include my illuminating tinted primers, such as the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfecter and the Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Tinted Complexe, since I would never wear those alone. Even with dry skin, I find them to be too glowy if not paired with a base with more coverage—because of this infernal heat! My current base count is: 11. Which, all things considered… I don’t think is that bad. Of course, if you compare this number to the typical beauty v/blogger, it really isn’t too crazy, but I don’t know any sane person who would compare their stash to that of beauty v/bloggers. So… I still need to work on dis. It’s still a …