2017 Favorites!

Okay, fam, since it’s now the new year, let’s talk about all the products I started using in 2017 and am still obsessed with!!! These are items I couldn’t put down — no matter what — and I will absolutely repurchase in the future. Nothing listed here will be a product I began using prior to 2017, so unless it was LE, you should be able to still buy it! Let’s get started …

Haircare
Sexy Hair Healthy Soy Renewal Creme Oil, 4.2 Fluid Ounce — this is almost holy grail status. I love this because it speeds up my blowdry time and leaves my hair insanely soft and shiny! I use it every time I blowdry my hair and am in love!

Skincare
BioRepublic Skincare Sheet Mask Skin Kit — as you know, I’ve gone cruelty-free, which essentially meant no more Korean skincare for me. But! Luckily there are actually a few brands that are cruelty-free, and BioRepublic is one of them. While these masks are more spendy than their non-animal friendly counterparts, I can rest easy knowing they weren’t tested on animals. And on top of it, they’re really really excellent sheet masks.

e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence — I’m so so glad that elf has decided to launch their own skincare line. It’s great quality at an even greater price, and they are also cruelty-free! This essence is just as good as others I’ve tried by Korean brands, and I even use it on my neck, chest, and hands to keep myself well hydrated year-round. It has a lovely scent too!

Makeup
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer — I’ve heard some buzz about other brow products that have come out more recently, but I cannot for the life of me believe they could possibly be better than the brow definer. I love its shape, I love how long it lasts, it is my holy grail.

Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner — this liner is legit, and it’s only a few bucks, and I’m obsessed. And unlike others I’ve used in the past, it’s longlasting BUT also easy to remove.

Wet n Wild MegaLiner, House of Lashes Iconic Mini – Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2018

House of Lashes Iconic Mini — I’m not sure if I purchased these back in 2016, to be completely honest (may have been a Black Friday thing), but I’m willing to break my own rules to rave about them. If you have smaller eyes (see also: monolid), then these are SO PERFECT. I absolutely love the flared out shape but how much more modest they are than the original Iconics (which can often overtake my eye look). These will be on rotation for me for forever, I swear.

Juvia’s Place The Saharan Palette — while I haven’t used this palette exclusively (I have over 30 of them, so it would just be rude to neglect the others), I find myself reaching for it quite a lot despite its bold colors. It has a lot of very accessible options, and the Juvia’s Place formula can’t be beat!

Juvia’s Place The Saharan, Saucebox The Etude – Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2018

Saucebox The Etude Palette — this is the greatest neutral palette to exist. No, probably not — that’s probably an oversell. But where Saucebox seems to really excel is in their matte formula, and this eight-shadow palette is all matte. You can use it as a base before jumping into more colorful looks or you can use it on its own. I’ve been reaching for it more than my single shadows!

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder (Blossom Glow) — I absolutely love the MegaGlo formula — it’s silky and buttery and packs and INCREDIBLE highlighting punch, but this particular shade just really speaks to me. It’s a beautiful, soft pink with light gold undertones, perfect for basically every single skintone. I use it so much!

What were your 2017 favorites? What are you most excited for in 2018???

Black Friday Reviews Pt. I

I haven’t tried every item I purchased on Black Friday (I know, I know, who am I even???), but I HAVE tried quite a few, and you know me: I’ve got opinions on them!

House of Lashes Forever Tink: These lashes are soooo pretty and more natural, without being sparse and barely there. Like the other lashes in the HoL family, they have a nice, comfortable lash band and are soft and fluttery. I love them even more than I expected!

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2017

Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Primer: I imagine this primer oil is FANTASTIC for anyone with especially dry skin. Since I’m naturally very oily, I had my skepticism about it, but I’ve found the perfect way to make it work for me! I mix a few drops in with my moisturizer and then top it with my favorite everyday primer. This way, I don’t get too slick during the day, but it allows my foundation to go on nice and smooth. However, I doubt I’ll repurchase it and will likely only use it during the winter months. If you have dry skin, though, this might be your holy grail!!!

Wunderbrow Eyebrow Make Up: This … was an enormous bust. I’d say one of the biggest makeup busts I’ve had in years, and I’m so disappointed!!! First of all, the color selection isn’t very good AND they’re not labeled very well. My “black/brown” was definitely more on the light brown spectrum, and it looked kind of odd on me. Second, you have to go quite heavy handed on it to make it work, which takes FOREVER. I’m sure the more you use it, the quicker it becomes, but ain’t nobody got time fo dat. Lastly (and most disappointingly), it only lasted about a half a day — even when I used way more. My ABH lasts longer than that, even through the gym, even through sleeping. I returned it to Ulta and got my money back!

Dose of Colors Lip it Up in Mocha: I’m still on the fence about whether I’m happy bullet lipsticks are making a comeback simply because liquid lippies (despite their downsides, like excessive drying) are just so. so. so. convenient. However, this lipstick is super creamy and comfortable, and I love the shape! It’s easy to apply, and the shade I chose is absolute perfection for any skintone! I would definitely purchase more in the future, and I’d like to have some for my client kit.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2017

What items did you buy and love (or hate) on Black Friday???

Influenster: L’Oréal Revitalift

I’ve decided to include all the products Influenster sends me in my blog reviews because it allows me to be much more thorough in my assessment of each product.

My most recent box included L’Oréal Revitalift Triple Action moisturizer. The claims are that it will deeply hydrate skin, increase firmness (upon application and over time), and reduce the appearance of fine lines (within two weeks and over time). I was asked to use the moisturizer morning and night and to abstain from using other skincare products to ensure I could see the full effects of it alone. I admittedly couldn’t really do that because YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT MY KOREAN SKINCARE, but I only used my essence, sugar scrub (once over the course of two weeks), and my Lush Mask of Magnaminty (once over the course of two weeks) because my pores were getting super clogged. This wasn’t due to the product as much as my enormous pores that let anyone in the door, even strangers, and then lets them stay long-term.

 

Before – Photo Copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2017

I’m going to start with the bad so I can end on a positive note.

• L’Oréal is not animal-friendly. Because they sell in China, whose law requires all beauty products sold within the country to be tested on animals, they are not leaping bunny approved. Depending upon your level of dedication to being animal-friendly, this may or may not be a dealbreaker for you. For me, it is. I wasn’t aware that I would be sent a L’Oréal product till after I gave my word that I would use the product as instructed and provide an honest review, so I decided to go forward with the program. However, I would never purchase a L’Oréal product, regardless of how good it may be, and I wish they would stop lining their pockets and instead pull out of the Chinese market till the laws change.
• No SPF. Because this is a morning and night product, they decided to not include any SPF, which meant every morning I had to apply it and then top it with an SPF. I’m not sure about you, but that is the most annoying thing of life to me. Especially where I use the Korean 10-step regimen, I really don’t need to be layering on even more products.
• Super thick texture. While this works just fine for a night cream, applying what feels like that to my skin in the morning under my makeup isn’t ideal. And then because I had to top it with an additional SPF, my skin felt constantly heavy and thick all day long. It also didn’t wear well under makeup.
• Didn’t fulfill its claims. Because I’m genetically blessed and pre-disposed to not really age until I’m 200 years old, I have no opinion on whether it helps with fine lines. As far as firming up my skin and improving texture, I saw no difference during the two weeks. I wish it had improved the texture of my skin and firmed it up, but I feel like my skin looks just the same as it did two weeks ago.

The Good:

• Really lovely scent. I know this is because it doesn’t have SPF, so it’s a catch-22, but I’d say this was the best scented moisturizer I’ve ever used.
• Excellent moisturizer. Despite not seeing any difference in the firmness of my skin, I did notice a MAJOR improvement in overall hydration. In fact, that is so impressive that (if they were animal-friendly), I would purchase it for that and that alone. My skin has felt incredibly soft and smooth with no dry patches (aside from the tip of my nose that was healing from a sunburn).
• Not oily. It isn’t a matte product — don’t get the wrong idea here — but it didn’t make my already oily skin any oilier than normal. I was pleasantly surprised by this because of how thick and rich it is.

Final Verdict
I can’t in good conscience recommend this product as I am making great strides to become as cruelty-free and animal-friendly as possible (I still use makeup by companies who are not leaping bunny certified, primarily because I was unaware when I purchased them and do not plan on tossing out mostly full items, but I am phasing them out and don’t have plans to purchase them again in the future). It also didn’t seem to fulfill all its claims, but I can’t stress enough how remarkably hydrated my skin has felt the past couple of weeks. I plan on finishing out the container, using it only as a night cream, because I don’t want to be excessively wasteful, but I will not purchase it in the future. If L’Oréal were an animal-friendly company, I think my overall impression would be more favorable.

Thank you to Influenster and L’Oréal for sending this to me free for my honest review!

 

 

Current Favorites

I’m deeply troubled that I haven’t blogged for 10 straight months. I obviously need to get my butt in gear AND buy more stuff. (Probably I don’t need to buy more stuff.)

And since it’s mid-month and I’ve been using new items since May ended, I figured I’ll just give you a general round-up of my current favorites and then get back on track with the monthlies. To keep this brief, I’m limiting myself to the crème de la crème items that I consider ride or die.

NYX Cosmetics Total Control Foundation ($14): I purchased this at a NYX store near my home, and to be honest, the only reason I bought anything was because I was so freakin excited I live near a NYX store! As soon as I walked out the door, I had buyer’s remorse, thinking I’d made a mistake, I didn’t need more foundations, all the usual feelings post-makeup buying, but that went away as soon as I started using it. It only takes about six drops to cover my entire face with a nice light-medium coverage, and it blends out really nicely with an oval brush or a beauty blender. It’s replaced my NARS All-Day Luminous Weightless foundation, and it has a fantastic price point!

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2017

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder ($4.99): I was lucky enough to find Precious Petals at my local CVS (or was it Rite Aid? Walgreen’s? I know nothing), and it’s BEAUTIFUL. Wet n Wild highlighters are really hit or miss for me — some are velvety and soft and pack a super pigmented punch like this one, and some are dry, powdery, and lackluster. This rivals some higher end highlights for me, and I find myself reaching for it constantly. It especially looks gorgeous layered on top of Marc Jacobs Dew Drops.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer ($23): When I first bought this, I was underwhelmed, but then I figured out how to best use it, and I’m hooked! I love the angled tip that allows me to fill in the fuller part of my brows but also draw in hairstrokes. Sharpening it is a breeze, and it’s lasting forever. It’s going to be difficult for me to ever go back to a traditional brow pencil, and my Dipbrow has gone untouched for months now!

Nivea Smoothness Lip Care with SPF 15 (approx. $3): I picked this up completely at random when I was at the drugstore because I couldn’t find any of my lip balms at home (I later found them because of course I did). This is honestly the best lip balm I’ve EVER used. Recently, I went back to a more natural one that ended up making my top lip numb for a few days and left my lips utterly chapped and cracked — yikes! This has saved my lips and leaves them really hydrated and supple, without that waxy feeling that can occur a few hours after application. I’m going to stock up!

e.l.f. cosmetics Contour Palette ($6): I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about this palette for quite awhile now but was mega happy with my tarte Park Ave. Princess Amazonian clay matte bronzer, so I didn’t think I needed to try it. But I caved one day and placed an order for several items I’ve been hearing about a lot and this has really stood out to me. While the highlighting powders are very mediocre, the contouring and bronzer powders are soooo nice. They blend beautifully over all my foundations without skipping on the skin or appearing patchy, and they have the perfect amount of pigmentation. Even though the highlight powders aren’t very good, I still think this is a major bargain for the price point.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2017

 

What have some of your favorite items been lately? Tell me in the comments!!!

 

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July Favorites

Some of these may be carry overs from June since I, you know, never blogged about them. And this is going to be long  because of that and 100 points to Gryffindor if you make it through this entire post! And shockingly there were no fails, but that’s probably because I’ve forgotten about them. Also, this pic is just full of May favorites I’ve already blogged about, so if there’s anything you see that isn’t mentioned, go to this post. Is it super lame that I’m not retaking the picture so it actually reflects this month? Probably. I’ll change it out later (I say that now, but I bet I won’t).

THE FAVORITES

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette ($42)
I mean, whoa. Not only is this palette full of rich, beautiful colors, it has a great mix of mattes and shimmers (unlike her Self-Made palette, which is one of the most disappointing palettes of my life). The formula has changed as well, and while there’s a pretty decent amount of kickback, you’re also getting buttery smooth, super pigmented shadows that perform better than any others I’ve used. Worth every penny, trust me.

RCMA No Color Powder ($12)
This translucent powder is everything I’ve ever wanted to set my face with and more. It’s velvety, performs beautifully, blends out and has no flashback, and it keeps me as oil-free as any product possibly can for a pretty decent amount of time (I am a terribly oily girl).

NYX Matte Finish setting spray ($8)
This is hands down the best setting spray I’ve found at the drugstore. It doesn’t smell awful, it works really well, and I love the matte finish. This is awesome if you have naturally oily skin!

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence ($17)
For those of you who’ve been following me awhile, you know I’m deep down the rabbit hole of Korean skincare. I’d been really unhappy with my last essence (it literally did nothing, and I didn’t understand why people raved about it), so I decided to give this one a shot and wow. Now I understand why people love essence. It basically fixes everything about your skin in one little bottle. It also has a pleasant, mild scent, and a serum-like texture.

ColourPop Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lip in Dohee ($6)
This is a collar with @imjennim and to be perfectly honest, I purchased it because she’s Korean and we need to stick together. But it turns out that this is honestly one of my most favorite liquid lipsticks ever — if I didn’t have a gazillion others, I’d wear this all the time. The texture is perfect, it wears really nicely (and pretty long, too), and the color is bombtastic.

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara + Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara
Ok, I know I’ve mentioned both mascaras in other posts, but lemme tell you, one day I thought “Maybe I’ll combine them and see what happens,” and that is one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made. I have fantastically short lashes that are primarily covered by my monolid, but two coats of Smoky Extravagant (I don’t even need a lash curler anymore) topped with one coat of Better than Sex (honestly, whoever named this has never had sex) makes for some great volume, curl, and length.

Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer concealer ($26)
Ok, so if you read my May Favorites and Fails, then you’re probably wondering why on earth this is on this list right now. Guys, sometimes my first impression of a product is really really horrendous and then over time, I realize that it’s actually awesome. I think the combination of my skin’s texture at the time + not using the right setting powder contributed to me not liking this concealed, but honestly it’s amazing. It’s NOT crepe city as I originally thought, it has incredible coverage but is really lightweight, and it lasts through the day really well. The scent is awful, though. I’m still sticking with that — straight up wall paint, but it does dissipate pretty quickly. I retract my previous review that it’s a fail, and I’m absolutely going to repurchase.

Mario Badescue Enzyme Revitalizing Mask ($20)
Hahahahahaha both of May’s fails ended up on my favorites list this month. Go figure. Same as the Tarte concealer, my first impression was bad and then over time, I used it more and fell in love. Also like the Tarte concealer, the scent still sucks, unfortunately, but I’m pushing through.

What were some of your favorites last month? Did you get your hands on a bunch of the newest releases?

ColourPop Lip Products: A Full Comparison

I have a well-documented love of ColourPop Cosmetics – I purchase items from the company nearly every month and have at least one item in every one of their categories, ranging from super shock eyeshadows (the best eyeshadows of life) to the brow pencil to their highlighters and bronzers. My knees go a little weak whenever they release something new — the collaborations are innovative, the seasonal collections are beautiful and well thought out, and the products continue to improve all the time.

Jerks. The whole lot of them.

Because I’ve made myself something of a ColourPop connoisseur, I get a lot of questions from friends and clients about what differentiates each of the lip lines and what’s best for their needs. And, of course, I have at least three products from each line (of course) and at least one of every finish because I am so extra like that. In this post, I’m going to outline every single one of them, their pros and cons, and hopefully you can decide what it is you want (although I really think you should want it all).

For starters, all Lippie Pencils and Lippie Stix (regardless of finish) are $5 each. FIVE DOLLARS. All Ultra Matte Lips and Ultra Satin Lips are $6 each, making them the least expensive liquid lipsticks on the market that are also really, really, really fantastic.

Lippie Pencils
These are your basic lip pencil (matte finish) — nearly every lipstick has a coordinating pencil, so you can be pretty well guaranteed that your lip pencil stash will grow exponentially. These are the best lip pencils I’ve ever used — they’re so super duper creamy and have a great lasting power, plus they don’t bleed into the skin (and keep your lipstick from doing so as well). Despite having several brands of lip pencils, I tend to only reach for my ColourPop because they’re superior to all others.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

At time of publication, there are 60 Lippie Pencils from which to choose, from neutrals to bright reds to even a fantastic aquamarine perfect for spring and summer (and the especially bold.

Lippie Stix
These are what started it all for me. I’d heard great things about their lipsticks and decided to buy just a few, and then I won the Spring 2015 collection in its entirety, and my lifelong addiction was born. They come in eight different finishes:

• Sheer
• Cream
• Glossy
• Hyper Glossy
• Satin
• Pearlized
• Matte
• Matte X

The Glossy and Hyper Glossy are not my favorites, but that’s largely because I’m not particularly fond of gloss in general. The sheer made its debut last summer and didn’t catch on very much, and I don’t know why because it’s a great formula. It still has a really nice pigmentation despite being called sheer (although even as I say this, I have to admit that I only have one in that line). The cream and satin are like your basic lipsticks you can buy from nearly every brand, except theirs are highly pigmented with an excellent wear. I’ve yet to try the pearlized, although there is currently only one shade. The matte were absolutely my favorite finish in the entire collection, but then … then, you guys, they released matte x.

A moment of silence for the matte x.

This is the greatest lipstick formula of life. It’s SUPER matte but also magically hydrating, leaving your lips feeling velvety all day long. Despite not being branded as a longwear item (like liquid lipstick), it has an incredible longevity that lasts easily through eating and drinking. I recommend this one for anyone who likes a matte finish but doesn’t like the issues that may arise with a liquid lipstick.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

At time of publication, there are 79 Lippie Stix from which to choose, which means you’ll need to save up $395 to own the entire collection. I think that’s entirely worth it.

Ultra Matte Lip
These were the first drugstore-priced liquid lipsticks to hit the scene. There have been some complaints about the packaging (some leakage issues) and dryness (like, major dryness), but overall, they’re some of the best liquid lipsticks you can buy even in comparison to higher end. They’re also *coughs* the same thing as the Kylie lip kits, while being INSANELY cheaper, and you don’t lose your soul or dignity by purchasing them because they don’t have a Kardashian name attached to them. I own three from the line (so many lipsticks, so little time) and have no complaints about them — I haven’t experienced leakage or any dryness worse than other brands, and their longevity has been awesome. Midi and Solow last through even burgers and fries (no, seriously), and Trap only needs a little bit of touch-up post eating. I will say they aren’t the best for touch-ups like other brands I’ve used — they have a tendency to get a little crumbly when you layer them, but that is a pretty small price to pay in my opinion.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

At time of publication, there are 47 Ultra Matte Lips from which to choose with fun names like Chilly Chili, Kapow, and Shimmy. All the cool kids are buying them.

Ultra Satin Lip
These the newest collection to hit ColourPop’s site (the matte x are still Lippie Stix, so I consider them the newest line), and they’ve made waves. A longwearing (though not transfer-proof) lip product with a satin finish and nice stain, it’s pretty innovative. They apply like a liquid lipstick without the massive dry lip experience, and because they stain the lips, even as they wear off, it’s very gradual and subtle. I’ve only had one dud in the four I’ve ordered (though one I haven’t worn yet), and that was Botanical, so I haven’t included it in my swatch photo. It applied patchy and crumbled off my lips, with little to no stain, but the others have been fantastic. They’re lipstick elevated, and I’m absolutely reaching for them more than traditional lipsticks.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

At time of publication, there are 24 fantastic satiny colors from which to choose. Because there are so few, that obviously means you can buy them all (except Botanical. I wouldn’t recommend that one). These are especially great for travel!

So. 210 beautiful lip products all calling your name, no more than $6 apiece. Which will you purchase first???

May Favorites and Fails

May was a pretty decent month in terms of new discoveries (in fact, not one item here is one I’ve been using for forever and have suddenly decided I love it — I actually purchased all these or began using them in the month of May). I will try to get a YouTube video up about these soon!

THE FAVORITES

Beauty So Clean Wipeout Brush Cleaner
I mean, this is the best disinfecting in-between deep cleanings spray I’ve ever used ever. Glamzilla mentioned it in her favorites video, and I was perusing Beautylish one day, saw it, and figured I’d give it a shot. The price point is not my favorite, but it works SO SO well. I even had a couple concealer buffing brushes that had been stained and no other brush cleaner (solid, soap, what have you) was taking care of it. Beauty So Clean literally made them white again. I sound like an awful informercial, but the stuff is gold.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

ColourPop Cosmetics Matte X collection
My next post is going to be a full comparison/rundown of all the different finishes of ColourPop lip products (because you know I own at least one of every type BECAUSE I AM SO EXTRA). Matte X is hands down my favorite — hydrating, mega matte, super pigmented, comfortable, wears well, $5 a pop, vegan.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

H&M Bronzer
Naturally the shade I purchased and am madly in love with is sold out (Natural Bronze). I know I’m really late to the H&M makeup game, but they were having a sale on select products and free shipping (the H&Ms in my area don’t carry makeup), and I just went for the gold. This bronzer is so buttery velvety good with a fantastic color payoff and blendability. Seriously get yourself one today — $9.99, and it’s better than most high-end bronzers (for real). Packaging is a little flimsy but still looks chic.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara
WHY. IS. NO. ONE. TALKING. ABOUT. THIS. I kept receiving samples of this from Sephora and would kind of let them expire before tossing them because people are raving about Too Faced Better Than Sex (also a favorite, so no shade here) or Benefit’s mascaras (honestly some of my least favorites of all time), so I figured it wasn’t worth trying. False. This is the best mascara I’ve ever tried — my favorite combo is two coats of it plus one coat of Better Than Sex on the tips, and I have super long, luscious, curled, defined, separated, volumized lashes. It’s so so so good.

Tony Moly Cat’s Wink clear pact
If we’re going to be really honest here, I don’t know that this powder is any better than any other pressed powder in existence. But the package is shaped like a cat, and till you use it enough, there’s a cat paw embossed on it. Like, honestly, that is why it’s one of my favorite products. I just love cats.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

Ofra Cosmetics You Glow, Girl highlight
I finally got my hands on this highlighter after everyone and their dog had been using it for months and months. A collaboration between Ofra and the DupeThat girls, it’s such a unique color that I had to have it. It’s a little pink, a little frosty, a little silver, a little lavender, and the formula is incredible. Like the most pigmented highlighter of my entire life — a little goes a very long way.

THE FAILS

Tarte Cosmetics Rainforest of the Sea Aquacealer concealer
So the problem, naturally, is that I am now stuck with a $19 concealer (bought it on sale from Tarte directly) that smells like house paint and leaves my under eye area looking the worst it possibly could. Crepe city, it accentuates everything I couldn’t possibly want accentuated, and the smell is just so so strong and off-putting. I keep hoping that perhaps my undereye area will suddenly become flawless and perfect so this concealer won’t end up in the trash, but I’m afraid it probably will. If you don’t have the smoothest baby butt skin under your eyes, this is a huge no.

Mario Badescue Enzyme Revitalizing Mask
An esthetician friend of mine said, “You need an enzyme mask,” and Mario Badescu is a good brand, plus it was on sale at Ulta, so I bought it. First of all, it smells like public restroom cleaner — I can’t think of any other way to describe it. Slathering it all over your face is a test in futility because of the scent alone. Second, it doesn’t appear to actually do anything. Now perhaps my skin is already just so perfectly revitalized that I don’t really need it, but it seems to me the more likely option is that this particular mask is pretty meh. I’ll continue using it till I run out, but hard pass on it, and unless it starts doing something magical on my face, I won’t be repurchasing.

April Favorites and Fails

Look at me being so johnny on the spot with this month’s favorites/fails, instead of posting it halfway through the following month. *pats self on back*

This is my accompanying post to my latest YouTube video (go check it out now!), so I might not go as in depth here as much as usual since I expounded upon them (and showed swatches) in that video.

THE FAVORITES

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel
They’re cruelty-free! Yay! I’m not sure when they made that transition, but I’m super stoked because their scents are always so delicious, and now I can buy them guilt-free. I purchased six from their Spring 2016 collection of tropical scents, and they’re all INCREDIBLE. I especially love that the scent lasts on the skin throughout the day!

Skin Food Black Sugar Mask
Holy grail skincare product. I ran out of it a couple weeks ago, and my skin is AWFUL because of it. I didn’t realize how much it was helping till I didn’t have it, and now I’m so sad! If you’re interested in learning more about Korean skincare, check out this post.

Photo found here

Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Setting Spray
This is such a good setting spray for less than $5! I have very oily skin, and I find that it helps my makeup last a lot longer throughout the day for a fraction of the cost of other setting sprays. Definitely check it out!

House of Lashes Lash Story
If this isn’t the cutest way to store your falsies, then I don’t know what is. This sturdy, book-like case will hold ten pairs of your favorite false lashes, plus two mini HoL adhesives (the best glue in the game).

Photo found here

Wet n Wild brushes — blush, flat top
I purchased the entire set online awhile back (came to the huge, enormous total of $28, so … yeah they’re pretty economical), and there are some hits and misses for me, but the blush brush and flat top are so awesome. I use the flat top for my foundation, concealer, and setting powder and love the results!

Morphe Brushes — M432, M507, M523, M527
I picked up these brushes after watching Jaclyn Hill’s favorite Morphe brushes video, and I LOVE them! They’re honestly some of my favorite brushes in my entire kit right now, and I’m definitely going to purchase them for my client kit as well.

ColourPop Cosmetics Brow Pencil
I still love my ABH Dipbrow Pomade, but the NYX Micro Brow Pencil has been COMPLETELY replaced with this brow pencil. It’s creamy, pigmented, and it lasts all day. The spoolie on the other end is very sturdy and the perfect size, and I’m not sure I’ll find another brow product I like more!

Photo found here

Tarte Cosmetics Park Ave. Princess Amazonian Clay waterproof matte bronzer
This is the perfect bronzer for a fair-skinned girl’s contour I’ve ever used. It’s the perfect amount of pigmentation and offers a nice warmth to the skin without being too orange. I love to use it as my contour or bronzer, depending upon how defined I want my cheekbones.

Makeup Geek single eyeshadows
I own Peaches & Cream, Creme Brulee, Latte, Frappe, Cherry Cola, and Americano for my travel palette, along with some duochromes and foiled shadow singles. I use the neutrals almost every single day and just love how well they perform. If you haven’t tried MUG shadows yet, you need to!!!

ColourPop Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lip –– Spritz
This is one of the latest lipstick lines from CP, and it doesn’t disappoint (sort of … more on that later). Think of the Ultra Satin Lips as the sister to the Ultra Matte Lips for people who don’t like drying liquid lipsticks. They’re not transfer proof, but they do stain the lips for a more gradual wear-off effect. Very comfortable, very inexpensive.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

H&M Basics jersey tee
Not makeup related, I know, but for real these are the best, comfiest, cheapest t-shirts I own, and they’re really high quality. They’re elbow-length sleeves, thin enough for hot weather, and just the softest shirts you’ll ever wear. Buy them all.

ColourPop Cosmetics creme gel liners
I own four of these (Best O, Honeydude, Spritz, and Zulu) and am remarkably impressed with how long they stay in the waterline (hours upon hours upon hours) with zero smudging or wear-off. Check out my full, in-depth review here.

THE FAILS

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara
Nope. Gross. It just looked like I did the worst job filling in my brows on its own, over pencil, and over Dipbrow.

NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner
This lasted maybe a couple minutes in my waterline and then smudged and wore off. Mega return!

ColourPop Cosmetics Ultra Satin Lips — Botanical
I feel like this particular color was just a huge dud because it performed COMPLETELY differently than Spritz. It bled into my skin, was patchy, cakey, and it didn’t stain my lips enough for them to not look just terrible when it wore off. Huge fail.

WHEW! You made it through, gold star. What were some of your favorites in April? I feel like the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette WOULD have been one of my favorites if I hadn’t just completely missed out on it. *le sigh*

Makeup Review: ColourPop Creme Gel Liner

I’m not even going to pretend like I’m not addicted to ColourPop products. I had a modest stash and then won the Spring 2015 collection, which propelled me into the world of CP addiction. From their Super Shock Eyeshadows to their highlighters to their blushes to their Lippie Stix to their Ultra Satin Lips and everything in between, I’ve got at least one product from each category. It’s inexpensive, it’s cruelty free, it’s highly pigmented, and it’s one of the best brands in the industry.

Not so recently, they unveiled a new product: creme gel liners and gel liner pots. I’m kind of a stickler when it comes to my eyeliner, and I’ve been so unhappy with many of the pencil/gel liners I’ve used, that I was kind of skeptical about them. But then everyone was raving about them, and for $5, I decided to take the plunge. (I have not tried the gel liner pots yet — I’m very happy with plain black winged liner and don’t really ever “accessorize” it with other colors. I may in the future.)

The Price
$5 a pop, which means you can buy a boatload of them, in varying colors, for around the same price as one Marc Jacobs (previously my eyeliner pencil of choice, simply because it sucked the least).

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016 — from left: Best O, Zulu, Honeydude, Swerve

The Packaging
Here’s where we run into an issue. It’s sleek, white plastic (like all their other products — similar to their lip liner except it’s self-sharpening, which is nice and not because the tip is perfectly pointy when you first receive it and then never again after you use it), but they have a problem with the eyeliner sometimes flying out and breaking. True story. Of the four I own, one has this issue, and I find myself popping it back into the pencil. It’s pretty annoying and something I don’t want to deal with, even when the product is inexpensive.

The Product
This is the best eyeliner you’ll ever use for two reasons (aside from the cost, which we’ve already established is bangarang).

1. It does not go all smudgy. The problem with creamy gel liner pencils is the smudge factor, and when you’re like me and have a prominent lower lid, even tightlining your UPPER lid creates under-eye smudges. Not cute. I wore Swerve (black) for about 12 hours today, including gym time, and at no point did it smudge even the teeniest tiniest bit. They’re literally the only pencil I’ve ever used to be that steadfast.
2. It stays in the waterline like glue. I’ve worn all four in the waterline, and they last like no tomorrow. The problem with the waterline is obviously the water part — it’s the most susceptible to moisture, which can kill makeup dead. While I did notice it wore off in the lower waterline more than the upper, the fact that I got 7 hours out of it today with little to no transfer is amazing.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016

Final Verdict
This should really be the only pencil you should be using on your eyes because it’s simply the best. Aside from the whole liner popping out occasionally, I have zero complaints about it otherwise. It’s creamy, it’s pigmented, it has incredible staying power, it’s inexpensive, and it comes in every color you could possibly want and more.

To purchase your own, click here.

Skincare Review: K-Beauty

Back in October, I decided I wanted to see what all the fuss was surrounding the Korean 10-step skincare regimen. I’d always taken certain parts of my skin pretty seriously but after befriending an esthetician and learning more about skincare just by being a certified MUA wanted to do more. Initially, I thought 10 steps was the craziest thing I’d ever heard till it occurred to me that I was doing 6-7 steps every night anyhow, so what were a few more steps. Especially if it meant I’d look like this:

Photo found here

ROTFLOL I won’t ever look like that because I have adult onset acne, scarring, hyperpigmentation, and I lack a professional photographer and Photoshop.

Anyhow, the first step for me was to figure out exactly what all those ten steps entailed, and it wasn’t that scary. (Okay, reading about snail slime was scary, but the rest was pretty normal.) I’ve linked all the products I use and they are (some are American brands because I am in love with them):

• Makeup Removal — I personally use eye makeup remover for my waterproof makeup and false lash glue and then a Micellar water for the rest of my face.
• Oil Pre-Cleanse — when you have oily skin, words like “oil” sound counterproductive, but what I’ve learned in the past few years is that oil is often AWESOME for people with oily skin. It actually aids in slowing down the production of oil and makes you break out less.
• Foaming Face Cleanser — especially if you have acne-prone skin, the last thing you want to ever put on your face is a harsh, acne-fighting cleanser. It will dry you out like crazy and probably not actually help with the acne. A gentle cleanser will do you fine, keep you hydrated, and you’ll see better results.
• Exfoliating mask — Korean products are almost always gentler than their American counterparts, so when I say exfoliating, I’m not talking about that horrible walnut-shell based apricot scrub that is literally only good for the soles of your feet. Their sugar scrubs are gentle, hydrating, and leave your skin feeling baby butt soft.
• Sheet masks — these are just flipping awesome. You put one on, you look like a robber, and then 30 mins later you have the best skin ever.
• Maintenance masks — on the days I’m not using my sugar scrub or a sheet mask, I’m either not masking (don’t do one every day or else your skin will hate you) or I’m using a clay-based mask. I prefer TruSelf Organics or LUSH.
• Toner — American toner is harsh, strips skin of everything you want your skin to have, and then it doesn’t appear to do much. HOWEVER, Korean toner is completely different — something to do with the type of alcohol they use (sake). I tried to read up on it, but my eyes kinda glazed over and all I can say is after about 6 months of use, my skin has never dried out from my toner.
• Essence — this is kind of a mystifying product that helps with fine lines, wrinkles, hydration issues, acne, and the overall tone and texture of your skin. It’s magic.

At this point, I know you’re thinking, “This is already too many steps,” but here are some good reasons why it’s completely worth it. First off, if you already have good skin, this will elevate it to AMAZING and will prevent fine lines, wrinkles, dehydration, etc. from hitting your skin prematurely. You’ll be 50 and no one will know. If you happen to have awful skin like me, well … you should have started it way earlier than I did, but know that the texture, tone, and scarring on your skin will lessen over time, and you’ll be able to prevent gross stuff from happening in the future. Let’s get back to it.

• This is were I apply my acne gel/cream. The general rule of thumb is the thinner the product, the earlier it goes on your face. My acne cream turns it into an 11-step regimen, and the idea is that if you’re doing this, you won’t need acne cream, but I have special hormones lucky me.
• Serum — I never used serum before because I didn’t really understand what it was for. It’s amazing and life changing, and you need to find one that tackles what you want it to and use it every day.
• Emulsion — I’m going to be real honest right now. I don’t quite get why this step exists, and I don’t really see results like it says I should. But FOMO, so I keep using it just in case it’s actually doing amazing things on my face.
• Daily SPF/Night Cream — daily SPF is so insanely important. It helps you avoid skin cancer and chemotherapy for starters, and it also keeps your skin youthful and less wrinkled. Night cream is a thick, rich cream that keeps you hydrated while you sleep (and can also firm, tone, brighten, etc. — choose one that tackles what you want because there are a bazillion out there).
• Eye Cream — find one that works for you. Make sure you apply it using your ring finger only, patting (never ever rubbing), and only along the orbital bone. Avoid the actual eye area because it can make you blind, lead to infection, etc. And don’t use something too thick as a jumping off point or you might end up with milia, like me. Which is great.

My experience with Korean skincare was, for the first couple of months, really anticlimactic. I didn’t see the results I expected to (although it certainly didn’t make my skin worse), and I felt like as soon as I ran out of the products, I would go back to my old routine. For the record, I am still using all the same products I purchased back in October — their longevity is kind of insane — and I realized that my skin is actually the best it’s ever been. Ever in the history of my life. And I’m never going back.

Photo copyright Daisyhead by Mary 2016 — NARS All-Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer, Rimmel Kate Moss Contour Palette in Coral Glow, Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Over time, the products I use might change (I’m still on the fence about the Missha essence, but the SK-II is so crazy expensive, I’m not sure I want to go there yet), but I’m pretty happy with what I chose initially — all I did was head to Amazon, look for each product and purchase the most positively reviewed that wouldn’t break the bank.

I do recommend visiting a dermatologist for any major skin concerns. I spent a lot of days in a derm’s office while I was trying to deal with my adult onset acne when it first hit, but I became so frustrated with how little the prescription creams and pills were working (and how much they were tearing up my skin) that I decided to take matters into my own hands. The Koreans, as it turns out, really know what they’re doing when it comes to skin. Trust me, I’m Korean.