Review: Philosophy Hope In A Jar

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to do a quick review on Philosophy's Hope in a Jar. It's the famous moisturizer for all skin types. The brand claims this product hydrates, exfoliates, and protects the skin, delivering a smooth, healthy, glowing complexion. I received a bunch of sample packets at my last purchase from Sephora, so I decided to try this cult moisturizer.

I love receiving samples because I usually don't stray too far from my staples. I mean, why try something new if you already got something going for you? However, there are a few times where I have ventured out of my norm in search of something possibly better. In regards to Hope in a Jar, I was glad I was able to sample it instead of getting a whole jar for myself because I wasn't too impressed by this moisturizer.

When I opened the packet, the first thing I noticed was the smell. I'm not sure how to describe it, but then I colored my mother's hair later in the day and found that the product smelled similar to the vinyl gloves in the hair dye kit, kinda plasticky or something. I hate products with strange odors. It's usually reason enough for me not use the product no matter how good it is because I can't stand smelling it on my face all day. I also can't help but feel like this is what I'm smelling like to other people. Anyway, I got over the smell enough to apply it to my face.

I noticed right away that the moisturizer was rather light. It applied rather smoothly, but it took some times and massaging for the product to absorb. However, it didn't seem to fully absorb. It leaves a rather oily sheen and a slightly greasy feel. So while it went on lightly, it finished kinda heavy. If the product is heavy and oily to me, it's pretty darn heavy and oily because I have super dry skin. I normally have to apply a lot of moisturizer to feel like I have sufficiently moisturized my face.

Because the product is rather oily, my face stayed moisturized all day, but I didn't like the greasy feeling at all. While the product seems to do what it claims, it was way too oily for me. I don't think I used it enough for it to cause any breakouts, but I think if I continued any longer using it, I would have. I know that feeling when my skin is about to break out, which is why I stopped using it after about a week. If I were to use this product for any reason, I would keep it as reserve for those super duper dry skin days in the winter where my normal moisturizer just doesn't cut it. This would probably work well if you spend a lot of time outside in the winter for any reason. I'm saving the packets I have left to use on days I go skiing.

Bottom line... I give this product 3 out of 5 stars because it does its job, but perhaps it does it too well for me.

RESEARCH PROJECT: Wedding Makeup

So sorry for the lack of updates. My sister has finally decided when to have her wedding, so all of a sudden I've been thrown into wedding planning chaos. I'm the maid of honor and wedding planner, so I've got a lot of work to do! Because she is on a major budget, I will be doing all the hair and makeup as well. So my latest research obsession is wedding makeup. I'm no professional makeup artist, but I am suddenly finding myself putting together a makeup kit. I'm trying not to spend a lot of money because who knows when I will be using all those products again and I'm also trying to find products that I will use again. My approach right now is trying to find good quality palettes so I can have a little bit of everything instead of buying individual things. I'm also seeing if I can use anything I already have. The biggest challenge I'm facing is the diversity of the bridesmaids. My sisters and I are Chinese, two girls are European Caucasian, and one of the girls is Indian. And of course the skin types vary from sensitive to acne-prone. I guess this will test my makeup arteest skillzzz... haha.

Here's what I've found so far... (I've eliminated all the way pricey options and anything that didn't look so promising)

Foundation/Concealer

1. Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Super Palette - $64.99 + $9.50 shipping (!@*&!)


This popped up often while I searched and appeared in a few youtube videos. It seems like makeup artists use this often on their clients, so it's probably quality. I think it will be plenty of product for my purposes and then some. It comes in cool, neutral, and warm. Not sure which one I would get. Maybe just the neutral. Perhaps the warm if the girls are tanner by the time of the wedding (it's in June 2011). I found them for the same price but cheaper shipping on ebay, which is a little more incentive for getting it.

2. Sacha Foundation Palette - $100 + $8.95 shipping

This palette came up on my searches as well. This company claims to cater towards women of colored skin. The product is more expensive but the palette is pretty big and you get tons of product. I don't need that much product, so I'm not sure if I'll go with this one. Plus, it's rather pricey for someone who isn't a pro makeup artist.

3. Kryolan Micro Foundation Mini Palette - $29.99 + $4.99 shipping



I searched on ebay for foundation palettes and this came up. It looks like it's a sample pack or something so you can find your foundation shade. I have no idea how big the pots are (should find that out), but it might have just enough product for my purposes. Just kidding. They're 11 mL or 0.35 oz. Whatever that means. They come in 4 different shade combinations that are by number, No.1, No.2, No. 3, and (you guessed it) No4. Only 1-3 are available through ebay.

4. Coastal Scents Concealer Palette - $18.95 + ~$8.00 shipping

I've heard some good reviews about this product. However, I watched a youtube review video and realized how large this palette was. I don't need all that product and the price is eh.

5. 15 Concealer Palette - ebay - $13.99


... soooo, I did some more research and came by a 15 concealer palette on ebay. It's the cheapest option so far and it seems to have gotten decent reviews. I like how it includes the color correctors, and it doesn't seem like an excessive amount of product to have. If I could make these work as foundation, that would be da bomb. I might order this first and see if I can before I spend on a foundation palette.

Eyes

For the eyes, I decided to go with one of those crazy 88 palettes. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I should have gotten one from the very beginning since it's got just about any color you could ever want. I figured this will be great for playing around with colors and looks for the wedding. And I will have everything in one big ass palette instead of carrying around a bunch of individual shadows or depotting and pressing my own (a project I will have to reserve for later). So I found a Coastal Scents-esque 88 matte palette on ebay for $12.99 with free shipping! It looks the same as the Coastal Scents one, and my research shows that the quality is about the same.

Cheeks

I think I own enough blushes to be fine. I have a few individual blushes and a few that are within other palettes, so I should be good. But if you're in search for a set of cheap blushes, you can find cheap blush palettes on ebay similar to the Coastal Scents blush palettes. Sorry. I would have more info I needed to look into it more.

Lips

I got enough lips stuff to rouge an army. I'll be good here : )

Miscellaneous

Other miscellaneous products I've been looking for are good waterproof mascaras, fixing sprays, basically anything that will help keep the makeup stay, and anything else that might pretty up the bride and the girls. Again, I will have to rummage through some stuff I already have. My sister is going for a very natural approach, so I'm trying not to go over board. Simplicity is best.

Okay, so there you have it. The wedding research project so far. I will keep this updated as I find out more. Thanks for reading!

Starting Out in Makeup

Hey friends! I thought a good way to start the beauty posts in my blog is to write about the things I have learned while building my own makeup collection. I don't want to say "collection" really because I am honestly not trying to hoard makeup and snatch up all I can. I really only try to buy what I need and what I know I will use. Basically, the essentials with a dash of splurges. I work hard for my money and I have loans to pay off, so I want my pennies to stretch as far as they can. I also absolutely hate wasting stuff. I think it's such a shame when I end up having to toss something out, which is one of the biggest reasons why, as mentioned in my previous entry, I decided to write about a lot of things I already own instead of going out to get more stuff. It's actually been a very good way of rediscovering some products I have and using them again.

So on to makeup!

Foundation and Concealer

The cornerstones of makeup. Foundation and concealer, in my opinion, is the hardest thing to get right. First of all, you have to find something that matches your exact skin tone for that flawless look. And then you gotta figure out what type of skin you have - dry, combo, oily normal... (what the hell does all that mean anyway?) And you have to decide what kind of foundation - liquid, powder, stick, squishy that turns into powder, etc. Sensitive skin? No sensitive skin? Brands, coverage, drug store, non-drug store, what's worth my money...!!!!!!! It gets kinda overwhelming. I admit that I haven't figured out foundation and concealer for myself yet. I currently use Make Up For Ever's HD foundation in 120, but I don't use it on my face every day because I don't think I need it every day. I've tried numerous concealers, but there's always something about each one I don't like so I try another one. Right now I am using Laura Mercier's under eye concealer, e.l.f's tone correcting concealer, and Amazing concealer. Obviously, I'm still experimenting. I'm currently in search of something I can throw on faster in the morning with decent coverage and reasonable price. However, speaking of price, if you're going to spend money anywhere, I would spend it on foundation and/or concealer. Think about it, this is something you're putting on your entire face and the very canvas on which all your other makeup is going to go on top of. Evening out your skin tone and hiding those little imperfections makes the biggest difference in your overall look. If you master the flawless face, you don't really need to put on anything else.

So how do we get the flawless face? It's a lot of hit or miss and experimenting. To start, I recommend going to Sephora or Ulta or even your local department store, anywhere that carries several brands, and ask the makeup artist for recommendations and to try them on your skin. Tell them your skin type, your morning routine, anything that will help them find the right type of foundation for you. The same goes with concealer. They will help match you up with one. Always ask if your purchase is returnable because you might like the product while you're in the store, but you might not like it when you go home and try it out for yourself. I know you can return anything to Sephora. If you feel like experimenting and trying drug store brand foundations that you often can't try at the store, CVS takes returns on makeup. I'm not sure about Walgreens, Rite Aid, or other drug stores. Let me know if they do! Don't be shy to return products! It's your money and there's no point keeping something you don't like and won't use! You can always play around with samples yourself to see which kind you like the most. Rub a little on your cheek close to the jaw bone. Whatever shade disappears into your skin is your match.

Eyeshadow

I always end up spending a little more on eyeshadow because the quality varies so much between brands. I haven't found any drug store brand eyeshadow that I really love, and I tried just about all the brands. I hear the L'Oreal Hip line is pretty good with their eyeshadows and the Milani ones are decent too, but I had already threw in the towel and went to pricier brands by the time I found out. I usually get palettes because you get multiple colors and they're usually a bigger bang for your buck than buying individual shadows. They're also great for experimenting with colors. A great thing to start out with is the Coastal Scents 88 palette (available at coastalscents.com) or something similar because you literally get every color at a great quality and at a reasonable price ($18.95!) You would spend so much more for all those colors even at the drug store. I wish I had found that palette before I started to purchase shadows. Palettes are also better for travel. You stick that baby in your travel bag and you have all you need to create a billion different looks!

Some brands that I recommend for shadows are Urban Decay, Smashbox, Victoria's Secret (Individual shadows. Their Heidi Klum palette is great but the others suck), MAC (again, mostly individual shadows but you can catch some palettes), and Lorac. Those are the brands I use the most. The shadows I've tried all have come from palettes.

Eyebrows

Getting something to fill your eyebrows is very important. I used to think brows were whatever, but filling them in and grooming them really makes a difference. Your brows frame your face and eyes. I never spent a lot on my brows. I have a pair of Revlon tweezers to clean up the hairs and a L'Oreal brow pencil to fill them in. I recently discovered a MAC eyeshadow in a palette I own that works great for my brows. Whatever works to shade in your brows is fine. You want something two shades lighter than your hair color if you have dark hair and something two shades darker if you have light hair. It doesn't have to to be brow specific. You might want to invest in brow gel or even just some clear mascara if you got more gnarly brows to keep the hairs in place.

Lashes

Mascaras can vary in quality from brand to brand. However, most of the time, the drug store brands are just as good as the expensive stuff. Covergirl's Lash Blast is an awesome mascara. Before that, I was using an Estee Lauder one, and I think the Covergirl is better. The price difference is about $10. So you can save money on mascara. I definitely recommend getting a good eyelash curler, and these can vary in quality. I used to think eyelash curlers were pointless, but it was because I was using a crappy Revlon one. I got one in a brush set I got from Costco a while ago, and holy bananas!, did it make a difference. Curling your lashes opens up your eyes so they look bigger, especially after a coat of mascara. So yes, get a decent eyelash curler. The Shu Uemura is supposed to be the holy grail of eyelash curlers, but I don't think you need to spend $20 on an eyelash curler to get good results.

Cheeks

Blush is something you can save on. I don't think there is a major difference between different brands of blushes. Whatever you get that give you a nice rosy glow is good. Same goes for bronzers. I have a Revlon blush that works just as well as a NARS blush I own.

Lips

You can also save on your lips. Lip glosses and lip sticks don't really vary in quality. You end up reapplying them all the time anyway. I usually don't spend much on lip color. You're really only paying for the brand or the packaging with lip products.

Nails

There is a difference between brands. OPI is simply the best. Best colors and they last the longest. NYC chips after a day. Other drugstore brands are decent. I'm very picky about how the polish goes on and everything since I'm OCD. I only buy OPI now because I LOVE it and it's only a a buck or two more than some of the drug store brands anyway, so it's worth it to me. Some people are less picky about their nails.

Brushes

Getting good brushes is extremely important for your makeup kit, but you don't have to spend a ton of money to get decent brushes. I don't own any pricey brushes, and I am still able to achieve great looks. It's really whatever tool you find that works for you. Brushes don't make the artist. Although they help, it's the hand behind the brush that matters. So practice with what you have before you go out and get expensive brushes. Also, try not to fall into labels. What I mean by that is a concealer brush doesn't necessarily have to be used for concealer or a shadow brush doesn't have to be used for eyeshadow. Look at your tool and think of anything it can be used for. I use a small concealer brush for my mineral shadows simply because the bristles are synthetic and they press on the shadow better on my eyes. I use a buffing powder brush to apply my liquid foundation. Use whatever works for you with whatever product you have. Again, you might have to do some experimenting.

Am I missing anything? I hope this helps some of you. Questions, comments, and your tips are always welcome! Remember that you're going to experiment with some things and you will need practice, practice, practice as with getting good at anything else. I am still practicing and experimenting myself! Don't worry, we'll figure this out :)

Hey Heeeyyyy

Blah, I don't know what is going with Blogger but it's taking forever to load. I hope I don't lose my post.

Anyway...

To jump start and organize my thoughts for this blog, I made a list of things I want to write about. It's pretty extensive. I know a lot of beauty blogs keep you up to date on all the new trends and products coming out, but as I was attempting to organize my makeup and other various beauty products, I found a lot of things I own already are worth talking about. Most of these things aren't limited edition or anything like that so you can probably still find them in stores and still make informed beauty purchases. There's no way I can keep up with all the new products and lines coming out. I'm simply too busy with work and other aspects of my life to be spending my free time at makeup counters. That doesn't mean I won't write about new products. I'm all for trying and buying new products, but only after some research and debate to see if the product is worth purchasing. Of course, there are those OH EM GEE PRETTY moments and I jump for something.

With that said, here are a few things off my list that I will be posting about soon:

Staring out in makeup
Hand and body lotions
Drug store lip chapsticks and lip conditioners
e.l.f. products review
+ more!

Stay tuned everyone, and thanks for your patience!

Love,
T

LATEST SCHEME: Custom Palettes

So my camera battery needs to be charged and I'm heading back to Boston tomorrow morning. Meaning I will have to delay my first product review post for now. I could throw one up, but I'm trying for quality. In the meantime, I want to share with you all my latest hunt.

During the holidays, I think on Black Friday actually, I bought a ridiculous amount of mineral eyeshadows on sale. I think I got at least 15 of them super cheap. I didn't own anything mineral before said purchase, so I kinda went a little crazy. I have stashed all these mineral eye shadows in a tiny Victoria's Secret bag, and I literally rummage through this bag whenever I want to use one. Anooying, exactly. I don't think I even opened all of them because I just keep grabbing and finding the same ones. The point? I need to press these suckers or I'm going to end up not using them or even frickin' opening them at this point. I need easy.

I've been researching like mad on the internet on how to press my own shadows, what's the best pressing medium to use, empty palettes, magnetized, not magnetized, do-it-yourself type things, etc. to find the least ghetto and cheapest solution. I'm sure many of you have already pressed your own shadows before. It looks super easy, but I don't want to just throw down $12 + shipping on an empty Mac palette and then some for the pans and whatnot. I have a basic idea of what I'm going to purchase and do, but I need to make a trip to some craft stores, Walmart, and Target before I decide just to see what's out there.

I will keep you all posted on what I decide to do and break down all the info I've gathered. Til next post.

Love,
T

Hi. My name is Tina.

So I have a random day off today and decided to throw a post up about me so that you can get to know me better and what I'm about. That said...

Heyyyyy! My name is Tina. Nice to meet you! :D

I'm 24 years old, going on to a quarter century very soon and basically just got my life started. Everything before now has pretty much been school. I completed my grad degree in May 2009, found a job, started working, and now life is life. I'm paying my bills, making ends meet, helping out my family who have been and are always supportive of me, and trying to take care of myself better. The freedom of being done with school is the most amazing breath of fresh air. I miss the learning environment from time to time, but just the slightest mention of exams, papers, and homework makes me so happy to be done.

Anyway. I live in Boston now but my job takes me back and forth between the western and eastern sides of the state. No, I don't have a beauty related job. Nothing glamourous at all, but I do have a passion for all things health and beauty related. It seems to be one of the most universal things that make people happy and I'm all about making people smile and feel better about themselves. PS. I am in healthcare/medicine : )

You can't take care of anyone or anything else if you don't take care of yourself.

Tough lesson learned for me, but I won't get into that.

So basically, I'm an average girl who loves to play around with makeup and various other products. I'm a creative person, always drawn to art. Painting is a huge passion of mine. I almost chose an art related career, but I listened to Mommy and Daddy and went with science instead. But I think they both mingle well. So I'm pretty handy with a lot of things. I made my own artwork, pillows, magnets, coasters, and other various crap for my new apartment. Mostly to save money. Oh, I'm all about that too. Saving money. I could spend a ton of money on, well anything really, but I know the value of money and how hard everyone has to work to make it (I used to be a Sandwich Artist at Subway xD), so I'm all about finding alternatives, doing it yourself, looking for deals, compromising for something just as good or similar, and researching the crap out of something to make sure it's worth spending on. You will definitely see that on this blog.

What else...

Makeup is really just for fun.

I think true beauty starts from the inside. I know, cliche or whatever, but it's true. A kind and beautiful heart is what really shines and touches people. Enhancing that beauty on the outside, I think, gives people the confidence to really reach others. Confidence is a tricky thing. I struggle with it constantly, but I really think most of us are trying to build confidence when we pretty up. But always remember that your outside appearance can only take you so far. The truth of who and what we are always comes out. You can be a pretty bitch, but you'll be a bitch. Or you can be nice, and everyone thinks kindness is beautiful. And that's what they remember.

I think I might be rambling now, and let's get real here... I need to eat lunch. I promise the next post is going to be product related. I'm going shopping today, so maybe I'll pick up something fun.

Love,
T

Hello and Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Lovely Bootiful!

I have a new obsession. It's called makeup and all things beauty related. It all started as a promise to take better care of myself and to do more things for myself. I'm always taking care of everyone else, and it was time for me to set something aside for me. This is the result. I've been trying out various makeup and beauty products, and I'd like to share with you some products, tips, and finds. I am by no means a beauty expert, but I'm happy to share with you my experiences, knowledge, and research. So stay tuned! I've got some ideas for some entries coming up! See you soon!

- T