BB Creams- Estee Lauder and Skin79

I am REALLY new to BB creams. I started looking around for an all in one face product because I am lazy and hate using a ton of different things at a time. I discovered BB creams and was thrilled for like 5 minutes. Then I learned that it was going to take some time and money to find the one I want to use. Did I mention I am lazy? hehehe  I am sort of joking. I am not lazy in life, I just want a fast fix for things that I feel should be an easy task. Like picking a BB cream!

I have read tons of blogs and articles on BB creams. Because of these I have been able to really narrow down brands that I want to try.

A few things about my face. I have red blotchy skin with large pores and to add insult to injury, I have eczema patches around my eyebrows and from the sides of my nose to my mouth.  It is not severe but a lot of tinted products make the flakey skin stand out more.

First brand I tried was Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream in light. It was cheap and easy to get at my local Target. The coverage was a lot less than I wanted and it reminded me more of a tinted moisturizer. It made my eczema patches look terrible. The SPF was only 15. I would like to have a little higher protection.
I think this BB cream would be OK for a younger person. I am pushing 40 and need more help! ;-)

I read a lot of good things about Estee Lauder Day Wear so I got it. A bit more pricey but not a big deal if it works. I have used it for a couple of weeks. The coverage ranges from light to medium and the SPF is 35.
I liked this better but my eczema is still a problem with it. At this point I had just accepted that it may be a problem no matter what I use.

Last week I read a blog that raved about Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super BB cream. I got it today and after one use, it is my favorite so far. It feels creamier and it covers better. Also my eczema did not show nearly as much as with the others. SPF is 25. Not as high as Estee Lauder but acceptable if I decide to stick with this BB cream.

The Skin79 looks to have more of a grey tint to it when you first put it on. After a minute it changes and blends beautifully with my skin tone.

My next and probably final try with BB creams is going to be with Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream in #23. IF it ever gets here in the mail. I will let you know how that goes and what my final choice will be.

E.L.F Nail Polish- Round Two

The next set of four will be Green Machine, Dazzle Diva, Misty Haze, and Blushing Beauty.

Green Machine on my pointer finger is a really dark green. At first glance someone might even think it was black.
Dazzle Diva on my middle finger is a gorgeous shimmery ice blue. I really like this one.
Misty Haze on my ring finger is a plain grey. Not really a fan of this color. Kinda blah.
Blushing Beauty on my pinky is a shimmery gold with a touch of pink to it. Blush in the name is correct. It is a   pretty color.

Again these all cover good with one coat. No lines or streaks.
I can see me buying Dazzle Diva and Blushing Beauty in full sizes.
I am wearing two coats of each to show more opacity.

E.L.F Nail Polish- Round One

As I posted before. I got this great little gift cube of mini e.l.f polish.  I am going to start swatching them for you. This first round are the 4 brown shades.
Glamour Girl,Smokey Brown, Desert Haze, and Taupe of the World. As much as I like earth tones, I have never bought a brown shade of polish. I really like these.
This is also my first time applying this brand and so far I really like it. You could get away with just one coat if you wanted.

I used two coats of each. They look better in person. I need to find some better lighting. The weirdness/ ridges you see is just strange shadowing. This polish went on beautifully with no streaking or lines.

Glamour Girl, on my pointer finger has a little shimmer/ glitter to it.
Smokey Brown, on my middle finger is a deep dark chocolaty brown.
Desert Haze. on my ring finger is my least favorite of the brown colors.
Taupe of the World (Love the name!), on my pinky is also a rich dark brown but a couple shades lighter than the Smokey Brown.


As I was thinking of ways to describe the colors, coffee and chocolate kept coming to mind. Nice colors of you like brown nail polish.

E.L.F Nail Polish

I just bought a gift cube of E.L.F nail polish at Target for $10. w00t! It has 14 mini bottles in it. I just couldn't resist. Here is a peek at the colors.

If Frankenstorm Sandy doesn't knock out my power or internet...I will swatch them for you on Monday.

BirchBox October 2012

I just got my first one today! I was a little wary about it because I have seen A LOT of disappointed people the last couple of months. Had I gotten a box with tea bags and a Luna bar, I too would have been a little peeved. Luckily, I did not. I am quite pleased with my first box.

Product Card

In the Box

I really like this so far. It feels really nice on my lips. It doesn't have a "taste" but it smells really nice.

I have not tried this on my face yet. Just on the back of my hand. It has a really nice soft feel to it. It will be great for a highlighter or to add a bit of shimmer to your eyes.

One of the things I am looking forward to with the sample boxes are fragrances. I want to find some scents I like without going to a store and smelling them all at once. This way I can wear it and make sure it goes with my chemistry. This one I really like. Often times I like the smell of a perfume but after I put it on it smells like bug stray. Viva La Juicy La Fleur did not let me down. Great scent and I love the little spray bottle.

I am excited about the hair powder. I was even in the store looking at the dry shampoos the other day. I haven't tried this yet but will come back and comment on it when I do. The hair tie is cute. My 9 year old daughter loves hair thingies, so this I will pass on to her.

Drug Store . com sale

Last week drugstore.com was giving 40% off their cosmetics. I held back and only got a few thing. Last thing I need is the husband giving me the look. I have kind of came out of left field with my new hobby.

My Small Haul

See I was pretty good! I got 3 Milani nail polishes in Pink Hottie, Dude Blue, and Fuchia (Glitter). The yellow one is Maybelline Color show in Fierce In Tangy.
I also got a Maybelline cover stick and Revlon precision lash adhesive. I need a concealer and figured I would try this one out. Unfortunately I got it too light so it doesn't work. We will talk about my new false lashes at a later date.

Not the best mani ever!

The pink and blue were awesome. They applied easily and 2 coats was plenty. You could even do 1 of the blue. The glitter is thick and heavily loaded with gorgeous glitter. A glitter fans dream. The yellow.. well we did not get along very good. I did 4 coats and it still looked uneven and streaky. I also bumped it on my desk before it dried...  I will probably be buying more Milani polishes. I liked these quite a bit.

OPI Nail Envy- Matte

I read a lot of good things about this product, so I went out and bought a bottle a few of weeks ago.  When I started using it my nails were fairly long and in OK shape. About a week after using it my nails started to peel in weird layers and break. I really want to like this product so I have clipped my nails off and started using it again.

I plan to do weekly updates with my nails. I am looking forward to the outcome. You can not really tell in this picture but it leave a really nice matte finish on your nails. Good for guys that want healthier nails but not the shiny effect. Wouldn't want to guys to know you have your nails done!

My nails today.

UPDATE

After a little time my nails went from bad to worse. The end shatters if I hit my nail on anything and they are peeling in layers really bad. I am going to quite using this product. I do not think it is a bad product. It works miracles for too many people for that statement. It is just not working for me. Maybe my nails were already healthy and adding more was over kill. *shrugs*