Sephora Contour Eye Pencil: Diving In Malaysia

This past weekend was my birthday and I was out doing some much needed retail therapy and somehow stumbled into Sephora! Imagine that! I wasn't going for anything specific I just wanted to browse around without a plan. Which I must say could have been a dangerous visit, but I held back and picked up 1 item. Plus my bonus birthday gift- thanks Sephora!

I have to admit I have never tried the Sephora Contour Eye Pencils before. Not that I was avoid them I just never thought to have a look at them. Yet on my birthday that is the place I found myself, browsing through the Sephora eye liners.

Now at first glance it is rather exciting. They have a plethora of colors and at $9 a pop you really can't go wrong. I was first drawn to the bright summer colors, but found myself wanting a more practical color and then I saw it.....Diving In Malaysia. I had to have it. The color is so gorgeous and I really don't have an eyeliner color like this.

It is the most beautiful black-green infused with tiny gold flecks! Gorgeous! I also have to rave about the fact that the formula is perfect. Soft, silky and transfers beautiful to the skin without the dreaded tugging. Now I must admit I was a little skeptical about how the formula would hold up, but fear not it lasts and lasts. I wore this out for my birthday night and it held up perfectly against the heat and humidity and I was outside for most of the evening!

All in all I am super impressed with this eyeliner! I will definitely be purchasing more of these. How can you go wrong with a $9 price point and for a product that holds up against the best of them! Kudos to Sephora!

I am going to be creating a look using this eye liner so stay tuned!!!

Have you tried these eye liners? What are your thoughts?

Sephora Eyeliner

Rave Review: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Ambient; 
: existing or present on all sides : encompassing

One tiny word with one big meaning. It's no wonder that Hourglass Cosmetics thought to use this word when creating a holy grail product. Yes, I am talking about the Ambient Lighting Powder. A makeup experience so pivotal I am still spinning around the concept. Using a single powder to influence light and customize a natural glow for each skin type. They call it photoluminescent technology. I call it brilliant. No pun intended.

So what is this miracle powder exactly? Well according to Hourglass Cosmetics,"Ambient Lighting Powder is a universal finishing powder that creates the lighting effect you desire."Also stating,"Each powder captures, diffuses, and softens surrounding light." I say it's a setting powder with superhero powers.

I am here to tell you that I am in LOVE with this product, let me share why. At first glance you notice the sleek, posh exterior. I am a self-proclaimed packaging junkie and this packaging screams "You're going to love me". This product weighs in at 0.35 oz / 10 G and is free of Parabens, Talc, Fragrance, Nanoparticles and Gluten.

Ingredients:

Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Boron Nitride, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Benzimidazole Diamond Amidoethyl Urea Carbamoyl Propyl Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate,Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Polyacrylamide,Benzoic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Potassium Sorbate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Laureth-7,Ethylhexylglycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate. May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride),Ci 77491 (Iron Oxide),Ci 77492 (Iron Oxide), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxide),Ci 75470 (Carmine).

Upon opening you might think what's so special about this, it looks like every other pressed setting powder out there, but you have to wear it to watch the magic happen. The Ambient Lighting Powder is by far the softest, silkiest, setting powder I have ever had the privileged of using. So fine it feels and looks like second skin.

 

The Ambient Lighting Powder comes in six unique powders that can be used individually or combined giving you the power to create your perfect light. Using a large powder brush, simply dust over entire face to set foundation and voila!

"Ethereal Light: 
A sheer, cool tone that eliminates shine and mimics a moonlit glow—even in broad daylight.
Diffused Light: 
A soft, warm, pale yellow that reduces redness, eliminates shine, and gives skin clarity.
Dim Light: 
A neutral soft beige that provides a perfect balance of warm and cool tones to blur imperfections.
Mood Light: 
A soft, sheer lavender pink that mimics the softest, most forgiving light and brightens the complexion.
Luminous Light: 
A champagne pearl that creates a soft, incandescent candlelit glow—day or night.   
Radiant Light: 
A sun-kissed golden beige that enhances the overall complexion with believable, subtle warmth. " [via Sephora.com]

I chose to go with Dim Light, it was the most flattering on my skin after swatching it in Sephora. Immediately I noticed how it minimized the appearance of my large pores at the tops of my cheeks. I also noticed how it balanced my skin tone almost instantaneously and gave my skin a healthy lit from within glow. I also love that it is a build-able formula, you can work up the intensity without looking cakey or too overdone. The softness of the product remains intact while increasing the amount of product used. A hard feature to come by in the realm of setting powders.

Check out my Current Foundation Routine video to see this product in action!

Will you be trying the Ambient Lighting Powder this summer? 

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Ambient lighting powder

Skincare Routine Update

I thought I would do an updated skincare routine, because it has been so long since my last one and so much has changed! I think it's really important to find what products work for the needs of your skin type. 

If you missed my last skincare routine click the link!

The products that I was using before were amazing products, but after a while I felt like my skin wasn't responding as well to them and so I decided to switch them out for new ones, which is really scary to me because I have impossible skin. My skin type is extremely dry and very sensitive. I very often have severe reactions to products just because of how sensitive my skin is, so finding products involves alot of trial and error. 

That being said I have found a routine that works really great for me and I thought I would share in case you are looking for a new routine and share the same skin type or sensitivities I do. This works for me, so please if you do try these new products be aware that every person is different and reacts differently, use with caution.

I though I would break it down to a morning and evening routine, which are very similar, but there are a couple of products that switch it up a bit!

Both of my skincare routines are based around a brand called Philosophy. This product line is amazing! It is so gentle, but really gets the job done!

My morning routine starts with a cleanser from the Philosophy line called purity made simple. I was a little skeptical of this product since I usually use milky cleanser, because I find that they are the most gentle, and this one is a foamy soap like cleanser. I will tell you that it is one of the most gentle cleansers I have used and really leaves the skin feeling like it has been deep cleaned without feeling like it took all your natural oils with it! It is a fragrance free formula and I really can appreciate this feature just because of my skin's sensitivity.

My next step can be one of two products, depending on what I am doing for that day. I will either moisturize with Origins- A Perfect World SPF 25 or Origins- Vitazing SPF 15. The Perfect World moisturizer is for days that I am just going to be doing minimal makeup, etc. It really is a beautiful moisturizer and I have to say I have fallen completely in love with the Origins brand. If I am doing full makeup I usually use the Origins Vitazing SPF 15. This truly is a unique product and I am going to be doing a full review on this product because it deserves the spotlight! So be sure to watch for that! The great features about these two moisturizers are that they are free of: 

- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan 

If you want to know more about these ingredients check out Skin Deep. This is a great site to know what ingredients really are about!

Once I am finished with my moisturizer I apply my eye cream. This is something new I added to my routine and I am so glad I did. I am obsessed with the Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream. It is so rich and luxurious and really gives my eyes a boost! It's a heavy eye cream, but so gentle at the same time and does not cause me any discomfort around the eye area.

Now my evening routine is pretty much the same steps, but a couple of products are swapped out. My cleanser is the same as my morning routine. Once I have completed my cleanser I use the Philosophy help me retinol night cream. I use this product three times a week. This is an anti-aging product that helps minimize pores, reduce wrinkles and skin discoloration, and helps improve the skin's overall firmness. Once I have applied help me, I apply a generous amount of my night cream. I use Philosophy's hope in a jar. I find that this moisturizers really perks up my skin and gives my skin a nice glow in the morning! I finish with my Bobbi Brown eye cream and I usually allow myself a bit more in the evening!

An extra step that really has helped my skin ten fold is the Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder. This is a topical Vitamin C powder that can be applied directly to the skin on its own or you can mix it with your moisturizer, which is what I do and I can't tell you what this does for my skin. It leaves it healthy and glowing. I usually do this two to three times a week and will probably do it more throughout the winter, because my skin really tends to tighten up throughout the winter. This product helps protect against free radicals from the environment and also helps with hyper-pigmentation. If you are looking for a pick me up product for your skin, this is definitely the product!

Another product that I love love love and I am so happy that I introduced it into my skincare routine is the Sirius Sonic Skincare System. I don't want to go to in depth with it, because I am going to be doing a review on it very soon, but it has changed my life completely! Check them out online and be sure to watch for my review!

 My skincare routines really work so well for me right now and I can't rave enough about each product! It really has turned my skin around and brought it back to life! I have purchased all of my products through Sephora with the exception of the Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream which was purchased through Nordstroms.

Watch for my upcoming reviews and if you have tried any of these products please share your experience with them!!

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