I’ve been searching for a worth while concealer for quite some time now and I can happily say I think I found one! After scouring the internet for reviews on a high coverage concealer I came across the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil and bought it on a whim at a trip to Ulta the following weekend. I’ve been using it everyday to conceal redness and post-acne scars and its been doing a beautiful job at covering them up, which is exactly what I hoped it would do.

A little background on the product..

“Hide dark circles and blemishes with our creamy formula that dries matte and stays put.”, is how Urban Decay describes their creamy concealer pencil.  Because it’s a pencil it’s easy to apply with precision and there are now 5 new shades opposed to only 3  medium/dark colors that were available in 2008 when it was first released (I think it may have been re-formulated too but don’t quote me on that). The concealer is formulated with Vitamin E and a new ingredient called Microsponge that supposedly absorbs extra oil.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencils: CIA, DEA, FBI, NSA, ATF, DOD, KGB, MI6

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Ingredients:
Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Cyclohexasiloxane, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Ozokerite, Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Stearalkonium Hectorite, Stearoxy Dimethicone, Propylparaben, Propylene Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate

And as always Urban Decay does not test on animals

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Conveniently I was on the search for a new foundation when I stumbled across Lisa Eldridge’s video which is a tutorial on acne covering make up (follow the link to check it out). Among other products she used the Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation, and no more than five minutes later I began to do a little research of my own to see what it really had to offer and what others thought of it. Before I go on I should mention that I did purchase this product to use as a concealer more than a full face foundation (I’m more the powder type girl when it comes to that) but did use it both ways before writing this review.

A little background on the product..

Per the description you should be able to enjoy 12 hours of lightweight flawless wear (16 with the setting powder). The corrective foundation is said to be a total coverage foundation marketed towards those with sensitive, acne prone skinwhich is a category I unfortunately fall under. It’s recommended for minor to moderate imperfections such as redness, acne scars,  and pigmentation issues.

Some of the other pluses are the added SPF 20, the fact that it is dermatologist/ophthalmologist tested, and non-comedogenic. All are attributes I look for in a foundation since I feel a lot of them that aren’t non-comedogenic tend to make my skin look unpleasantly oily after a few hours and/or make me break out. None of which I enjoy. Oh, and I’m all for the SPF, I can’t remember the last time I let my face go without.

Lastly, the color range..or lack there of. Vichy offers four, yes four, measly color options. The lightest is Opal 15, the two “mid-range” colors are Nude 25 & Sand 35, and the darkest is Gold 45. I choose to go with Sand 35 since winter is creeping up quickly and whats left of my summer tan is on it’s way out. Also, I did read a few reviews from women who had purchased the Gold 45 shade and could tell it would be way too dark.

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If you read my last post about my trip to Sephora you’ll know that I was pretty excited to have finally picked up the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I’ve been using it everyday for about a week now and love that you can create so many gorgeous looks with the shimmering neutrals. You can literally go from a day to dramatic night look in a matter of minutes. Not only do I really enjoy the 12 eye shadows in the palette but the packaging is really convenient as well and I’m definitely enjoying the eyeshadow primer and brush that came along with it.

Here’s a little background info on the palette:

Packaging..

The shadows are stored in a brown velvety mirrored case. Which I’m really glad is sleek and slender,12 x 1.3g to be exact, not bulky at all. Each eye shadow is 0.05oz which is equivalent to a full size Urban Decay Shadow, a pretty good deal I’d say. There is also a slot for a shadow brush, which Urban Decay has so kindly filled with their Good Karma Eyeshadow brush. And in the inital plastic packaging that the palette is placed in you’ll find a nice little 0.13 oz travel sized Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

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After a great weekend it’s back to the hustle n bustle of a new week. My to-do list is growing by the minute, but fortunately I treated myself to some  goodies from Salma Hayek’s Nuance line at CVS yesterday and will be putting them to the test this week. I’ve wanted to test out the some of the line after hearing so many great things about it  but sadly it looked like the makeup selection was pretty picked over so I didn’t have much to choose from but a few things did happen to catch my eye.

Flawless Wear Tinted Moisturizer in Medium/Deep

I’ve been looking for a new tinted moisturizer for a while, and despite the lack of SPF I decided to try it out anyways. To be honest I wasn’t too excited to pay $14 for 1 fl oz of moisturizer, but the formula sold me. It’s is a lightweight gel, non comedogenic, hypoallergenic, paraben and fragrance free, and not tested on animals.

I’ve only used it twice and so far so good. It seems pigmented enough to give you an hint of color and has awesome coverage unlike some which I swear are tinted until you blend it into your skin. I’ll be using this in place of my regular moisturizer for the rest of the week to put it to the real test, and like I said the only real discrepancy I have about it now is the fact that it contains no SPF. I suppose I can always mix it with some though.

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This past month or so I found myself cycling through a facial mask obsession phase. I’m notorious for buying them, using them for a few weeks, and then forgetting about them. So after rummaging through my beauty cabinet one night I found a few I never gave a fair chance and decided to stick around for the actual results this time.

The two masks my combination skin seemed to favor most were the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask and the classic drugstore beauty buy Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask. I’ve been using both interchangeably and have begun to remember how much I loved these two when I first purchased them. So if you’ve seen one or both around and have been wondering whether or not to try them out read on..

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There’s nothing like a day spent at the salon, don’t you agree?  I did exactly that Saturday afternoon, and believe me it was a much needed trip. While I was there I decided it would be a good time to get my Foxy Locks Clip In Extensions layered and cut; which would make for an easy blend with my actual hair. Upon walking out 2 ½ hours later (told you it was much needed) I was feeling pretty fabulous. Lucky for me later that night I was going to be celebrating a friend’s birthday and would be able to show off my new look, but that’s not what this post is about. I’d instead like to share with you my personal feelings about the Foxy Locks Extensions I wore out this weekend and that  I’ve been so in love with for the past 5 months.

I actually came across Foxy Locks via the owner and creator’s (Imogen) YouTube channel while searching for reviews of  different clip in hair extensions. Imogen is a woman with a serious love for thick, voluminous hair, which is exactly what her extensions offer. On her channel you’ll find tons of gorgeous celeb how-to’s, product reviews, and of course a giveaway or two. She also has a blog where you can find even more of the aforementioned.

A Little About Foxy Locks Extensions

• They offer 120, 160, & 215 gram sets of hair. – I chose the 160 to add extra volume to my fine hair.

• They come in an array of vibrant, rich colors. — I found Darkest Brown 2 to be my best match.

The 160 gram deluxe set includes: One - 8" wide w/ 4 clipsOne - 7" wide w/ 4 clips Two - 6" wide w/ 3 clips Two - 4" wide w/ 2 clips Four - 1" wide w/ 1 clip

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