What I'm Wearing

So if you're like me, you wear a mix of brands when it comes to makeup. I recently decided to share what I wear normally when I do my makeup and I was thinking, "Wow, that is a lot of different brands!" So, I will post some pictures and walk you through what I put on. You may notice why I am so natural and simple when it comes to makeup... even when I do a 'natural' look it still takes forever. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

Sorry for the serious face, haha. ;) 

Foundation: I am wearing Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation in color 2.0. It is a little light for my skin right now but I do not use it every day and I warm it up with powder and bronzer. I am also wearing Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation in Ivory 2 over it. Just a quick overlay. I briefly review it here.

Highlighter/Bronzer: I am wearing Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips in Waikiki Strip/Peachy Glow for bronzer (cheek bones and t-zone) and Benefit Cosmetics Watts Up! on the top of my cheek bones. 

Brows/Lashes: Emani Minerals Brow Powder and Liner Brush in Blonde (they have other color combos, though!). Yes, I recognize I am in dire need of a waxing/shaping. For mascara I am wearing Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! It is a black mascara and I do not think it comes in other colors.

Lips: Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Naked (pinky neutral). I love how cooling it is. And even a little plumping. Buxom lip glosses are also amazing. 

Shadow/Liner: bareMinerals 'Well-Rested' SPF 20 powder multi-tasker all over, Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Honey Spice on lid, and Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color in Iris in the crease. For eyeliner I am wearing a shot of purple underneath my eye on the lower lashes. It is an old eyeliner I have and I am not sure if it is made anymore. Rimmel Extreme Definition two-tone eye definer in 'Rock Chick.' It is two colors of purple and I am wearing the brighter one. I find that websites review it and it may be available to purchase on the UK Ebay or Amazon.

In a nutshell, that is what I wear when I wear more makeup than usual during the day time. I'd like to hear some of your go-tos! 

Have a fab rest of your week!


☮gretchen elizabeth

Please note, I am not paid to do these reviews nor am I doing this for the benefit of any company. It is just my own personal opinions, experiences, likes and dislikes!

Acne, blotchy-ness, redness, & dry spots Part II

I know you all have been anxiously awaiting part ll of this series. I am really slacking, huh? Again, I would like to thank those of you who gave me lots of suggestions and concerns you have. I really like learning about other people's beauty interests and concerns. 

So, Part l I talked about exfoliating and moisturizing, two things I do every single day. Again, I'd like to point out that those of you with acne-prone skin should be using something with 2% salicylic acid, unless you have an adverse reaction to it.

1) One thing that I find extremely beneficial for red, irritated skin is using cooling products. You can buy them pretty much anywhere. Not only do they help with skin appearance, they feel amazing! 

A product I am dying to try but have not yet is the Boscia Cool Blue Calming Mask. It gets 4 out of 5 stars on Sephora. It is a "peel off mask that instantly cools, calms, and hydrates." Some of the reasons I am excited to try it (besides the fact that it is cooling) are: 

• It has willow herb, which reduces redness and soothes skin
• It has aloe... we all know how awesome aloe is. =)
• AND lastly... it has sea whip! For those of you who do not know what sea whip is it is like sea pens, which is soft coral. Why is this awesome, you ask? It is one of the world's known natural potent-as-hell anti-inflammatorys. 

See... exciting, yes?

Some other cooling masks I found are:
Aveda Outer Peace Cooling Masque, an awesome DIY mask that I would like to try, The Body Shop's Tea Tree Face Mask, and Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Daily Moisturizer (I know it isn't a mask but it is cooling).
All of these can be found at various drug stores, website, and/or salons. I just wanted to give ideas with different price points.


2) Another product that improves the quality, look, and feel of your skin is BB cream. BB means 'beauty balm' and it is a miracle worker. I like to use it in place of foundation because it helps...

• even out my skin
• protects it from the sun (most BB creams have broad spectrum sunscreen)
• and firms my skin

As a lot of you know I am very partial to Urban Decay products and I LOVE their Naked Skin Beauty Balm, which they have in two different sizes. It is one of my all time favorite products I have ever used. 

So many different companies make BB cream now and you can purchase it almost anywhere. I have heard that Olay has amazing BB cream, and you cannot beat $11. Maybelline, Covergirl, Garnier, Aveeno, and Physicians Formula all make beauty balm as well, if you are looking for a drug store find. Sephora carries a lot of other brands that make BB cream besides Urban Decay like Tarte, Smashbox, Bobbi Brown, Stila, and more. 

BB cream is great to use alone or under foundation. It has moisturizing properties so if you are planning on doing your makeup after you moisturize and you want to use BB cream, I would just skip the moisturizer and just use the BB cream unless you have super thirsty skin. 

That is all for Part II. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! I will try my darndest to post Part III in a timely manner. Thank you and stay tuned! ;)

☮gretchen elizabeth

Please note, I am not paid to do these reviews nor am I doing this for the benefit of any company. It is just my own personal opinions, experiences, likes and dislikes!

A beautiful new direction

I originally started this blog as sort of a way to keep people updated and tell stories and what not. I decided to go in a little bit of a different direction, now. I will try to post at least once a week. I will be reviewing beauty products and giving tips, ideas, etc. The focus is pretty much what it says... simple. I might do a glittery whatever-a-bob every now and then. If you have any requests or suggestions PLEASE let me know. =) I may do food-related (healthy, of course) things every now and again as well. Please note, I am not paid to do these reviews nor am I doing this for the benefit of any company. It is just my own personal opinions, experiences, likes and dislikes!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

I want to start off with this because I am so amazed and in love with this product. First of all, I want to say that I am thoroughly impressed with Urban Decay's makeup in general (so, there will be other UD reviews). I have combination skin that I consider to be pretty healthy and in good condition with an occasional breakout. I always cringe when I see liquid makeup because it usually makes my skin oily after a couple hours, breakout, or has way too much coverage. Not this stuff. Let me just point out the highlights for me:

1) It makes me feel like I'm wearing no makeup at all but makes my skin look flawless. What is also nice about this is if you want more coverage, you can 'build' it up. I am wearing a 2.0 right now and it is about the exact same color as my skin on my face. There is 18 shades to choose from so you really cannot go wrong. 

2) It does not make my skin oily or make me break out. What is not to love about that? On the other hand, it doesn't dry out my face either. It is like having a second skin. I put some on this morning (around 9:40 am) before going to the temple and went to work out at about 1 pm. It didn't run off my face, start looking all weird, get on my fingers/hands/clothes etc.; it stayed put and I guess I'll say it again, it was like I was not wearing makeup at all!

3) Skin benefits. It is infused with an anti-wrinkle peptide, Litchiderm (protective and brightening... it's pretty cool stuff!), green tea, and vitamins. It makes me feel better about what I am putting on my skin.

Overall, I would give this 5/5 stars. It is $39 at Sephora which seems expensive but I really think it is worth the buy. Plus, it is a big bottle and a little bit goes a long way with this stuff. I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to post questions or comments and I love suggestions about future products to review.

peace and love,

☮gretchen elizabeth

Click here to order on Sephora.com