Naturalla Beauty

It's always fun trying new makeup, but the chance of something going wrong or needing extra fiddling means that I'm much less likely to experiment on days when I have to be somewhere within a given time frame.  Today I found myself just hanging out at home, so it seemed like the perfect time to play with a whole bunch of new makeup bits!



FACE

This was my first time trying Suki's Tinted Active Moisturizer in Porcelain and it was a little odd.  I don't know if this is normal - maybe my sample was old - but the moisturizer came out of the sachet an orangey shade with little dots of lighter pigment throughout.  Porcelain is the lighter of Suki's two shades and it blended fine on the skin and didn't look orange once on, but it also gave very little coverage.  I topped it with Honeybee Gardens' Pressed Mineral Foundation in Geisha, which, as you can see, is well loved.  It works well with my skin, has good coverage, is incredibly quick to apply, and looks pretty natural.  Une Beauty's Skin Glow Pencil in G02 - possibly discontinued - is yellow-toned and great for covering dark circles.  I set it with Silk Naturals' Light Peach Sleep in a Jar, which brightens up the under eye area and gives a tiny bit of extra coverage.  I used Au Naturale's Creme Concealer in Beige, which came in the November Petit Vour box, to cover a couple small blemishes.  



EYES

I received the Lily Lolo Laid Bare Palette* just a couple days ago, so this was my first time working with it.  First impressions are really good: the three shadows I used were all nicely pigmented and went on really smoothly.  Lavera's Eye Shadow Base is a relative new addition to my makeup bag, although I've been playing with it for a few weeks now.  I prefer something a bit tackier for extra shimmery or sparkly shadows, but for everything else, I've been really happy with how it performs.  I've had Pacifica's Eye Pencil in Bare for a good few months now and I like using it to brighten up the waterline.  I picked up Jet - the black shade - very recently, and it's great too: creamy and dark black.  For today's look, I just smudged it lightly into my lash line.  Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara is nothing new to me, but what is new is the Zuzu Luxe Cream Brow Pencil in Russet.  I'll be the first to admit that, when it comes to brows, I really don't know what I'm doing, but I wanted to experiment a bit more with filling them in, so I picked this up.  The color works pretty well, but I need to play with it more to fully decide what I think.


When I break it down, it seems like a ton of products, but it all amounted to a pretty natural, everyday-type look.    

Makeup selfies are hard guys.  I don't know how some of you do it!

What do you think?  Are any of these products favorites of yours?

Today I want to talk about a few things I've been loving lately.  All of these are new-to-me finds that I haven't used for very long, but first impressions are good and I didn't want to wait any longer to share them!



Earthpaste - Lemon Twist & Spearmint
It's crazy to think I've been using Earthpaste for close to two years now!  In a lot of ways, I still feel like this glycerin-free toothpaste is a relatively new discovery.  Alas, it does explain why, after many, many tubes, my eyes were starting to wander.  Sadly, even two years in, glycerin-free toothpaste options are pretty scarce, so I was happy to discover two new-to-me flavor offerings from Earthpaste.  The lemon - "for kids of all ages" - is great if you're looking for something sweet and different from standard toothpaste flavors.  It's zesty and refreshing, but without any mint or menthol, that cool, tingly feeling isn't there.  Spearmint is way on the other end of the spectrum.  It's unsweetened and extra strong - perfect for anyone who may have complained the original Earthpaste flavors weren't minty enough. I wouldn't mind if they sweetened it a tiny bit, but I'll go with it for all the spearminty goodness this small tube is packing. 

Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner
As much of a skincare junkie as I am, I'm still not completely sold on toners.  I know all the theoretical benefits, but for every great toner I've used, I think I've tried at least two others that either did nothing for me or actually irritated my skin. One that I would recommend, however, is Suki's Concentrated Balancing Toner (renamed the Concentrated Clarifying Toner).  I have the mini, trial size and I've only been using it for about a week and a half, but I've already noticed a difference in the appearance of the pores on my nose.  Overall, my skin seems a little more even too, although I could be imagining that part.  My skin really doesn't fit the combo-to-oily recommendation for Suki's balancing products, but I get on better with products in this range than ones in their Nourishing line.  Go figure...

 Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Finishing Powder
Whether I'm wearing a powder foundation (most days) or a liquid or cream one, I always like to use a finishing powder on top.  A good one can really make a difference, and Lauren Brooke's, which I happily received in a Facebook giveaway, checks all my boxes.   It sets your makeup, and also blurs small lines and imperfections, giving your skin a slightly airbrushed finish.  It also helps to control oil and shine throughout the day and can even be reapplied several times without looking cakey or overdone. 

NCLA Nail Lacquer in Let's Stay Forever
I usually gravitate towards dark colors and the occasional bright, so Let's Stay Forever, the pastel blue polish from June's Petit Vour box, definitely fell outside my usual nail polish color palette.  And, truth be told, application is not the best.  One coat is streaky and uneven and two is a very white, milky blue, but after three coats, you hit that sweet spot.  There's no denying that it's a pale color, but once fully opaque, the polish also has a slight, almost neon brightness that's pretty stunning, and totally worth the extra effort.  I recently switched this color out on my toes in favor of Petit Vour's July offering (LVX Lolli), but I think I'll be going back to Let's Stay Forever pretty soon. 

Have you discovered any fantastic products recently?