2014 Sephora Sun Safety Kit

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Sephora Sun Safety Kit, $32

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Not allergy season, because that part sucks thank-you-very-much-itchy-watery-eyes, but Sephora Sun Safety Kit time. Aka it is warm (finally) in most parts of the states, aka I don’t feel like hibernating constantly. My area in particular had a day reach 90+ a week or so ago, which is kind of uncharacteristic for May (especially considering how cold it was for so long). Warm weather makes it easier to spend time outdoors doing whatever – exercising, barbecuing, gardening, swimming once pools do not feel miserable, just going for a walk to gorge yourself on petit fours at the local bakery…ahem. Recently announced and ALREADY sold out online at Sephora.com, the Sun Safety kit runs $32. Though they will surely restock as they have in previous years, the sun safety kit is still available in some stores (maybe yours, use their little store locator on the right of the product page to see).

If you would like to approach sun exposure with more caution but do not know where to start, try to get your hands on one of these Sephora Sun Safety kits. It has a multitude of sunscreens, bronzers, sunless tanners, and other fun beauty goop. The Sephora Sun Safety Kit contains:

  •  0.06 oz Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Glow Moisture
  •  0.5 oz Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion
  •  0.14 oz Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Deep Matte Bronzer (note: I own this one and have tried it! It is pretty on many skintones, easily blended if you overdo it, and smells like cocoa!)
  •  0.3 oz Clarins UV Plus HP Multi-Purpose SPF 40 Sunscreen
  •  0.33 oz Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 PA++
  •  0.5 oz Tarte Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanner (note: Brazillance makes me laugh every.single.time. Haven’t tried it, though!)
  •  0.23 oz Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Bronzing Beauty Balm SPF 30
  •  Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad
  •  0.15 oz bareMinerals READY Touch Up Veil SPF 15 in Translucent (note: bareMinerals does make a solid translucent powder!)
  •  1.69 oz St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse (note: I have not tried St. Tropez products, but many consider this sunless tanner to be the sunless tanner.)
  •  0.5 oz Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 Age-Defense Moisturizer
  •  1 oz Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil SPF 50
  •  0.64 oz Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ For Face
  •  0.5 oz Algenist Regenerative Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20
  •  0.08 oz Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 (note: A holy grail item for many, Fresh Sugar lip treatments are awesome, especially chilled. Take advantage of not paying full price!)
  •  0.5 oz Ole Henriksen Protect the Truth SPF 50+ UV Protection

And of course, it also comes with a little travel bag to store all your loot in. The five products that I added notes to make the Sephora Sun Safety Kit well-worth the $32 price tag, and that doesn’t even touch anything else. It is no wonder why it sells out quickly – kits like this are a nice way to find something you like rather than shelling out for a handful of full-sized products that you don’t end up loving. In addition to only being $32, if it becomes available online again soon, eBates if offering 15% Cash Back at Sephora right now!

Though I used to, I do not tan any longer – on top of being expensive, time-consuming, and incompatible with my schedule, my mother had a melanoma diagnosis last year. To show support for mom (who is OK now!) and take better care of myself, I stopped, introduced a decent sunscreen to my routine, and will now only use sunless tanning products to ward away my pastiness. Though I did feel better (mood-wise) while I was tanning and my KP had chilled out, the benefits do not outweigh the risks for me, as far as I am concerned.

Chatter: Color Theory for Makeup

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I had a post of my own creation for you, today, but this Color Theory for Makeup post is so awesome that I bumped my intended content.

Color Theory for Makeup
http://rebeccashoresmua.blogspot.com/2014/05/color-theory-for-makeup.html

The internet is a good source of a lot of things, including awesome, hidden useful little gems. While browsing Reddit (which actually has quite a group of makeup and beauty fanciers) the other day, I came across a blog post entitled Color Theory for Makeup by MUA, blogger, and YouTuber Rebecca Shores. It is by far the most comprehensive guide to color usage in cosmetics that I have ever seen. I believe that learning is a constant process and I think anyone can benefit from this guide Rebecca so thoughtfully put together for the benefit of those of us who are into that sort of thing.

Personally, I am comically bad at visualizing things, especially when it comes to color and placement (not just with beauty, but other things too – to the chagrin of my poor fiance as we designed our wedding invitations). I usually have to put things in front of me (or on me!) before I can decide if I think they will look good together UNLESS I am so damn used to those items that I just know (I concocted a Naked palette look for a friend attending a wedding a while ago just off the top of my head – not sure if she used it, but I did, and it turned out nicely). I also have no formal art training, so while some of it seems obvious, the post is definitely welcome.

Beyond all that, I’m also a very neutral-eye person. I am comfortable in neutrals; they are my safe-zone. So while I do own a Coastal Scents 252 palette, it doesn’t get much love – but now that I have this tool, hopefully it will!

On top of being immensely useful and a fantastic visual guide (especially for those of us who have difficulty visualizing), her work is solid. The looks she put together are pretty awesome, though some are a bit daring for me, personally.

Read it and share it with anyone who can make use (but of course be sure to give credit where it is due because this is awesome).

BeautyBlender vs Bundle Monster Sponge

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The Beautyblender is a holy grail tool for many makeup fanciers and artists, thanks to its versatility, ease of use, and ease of care. That said, at a regular retail price of $20 (but less online), it is no wonder why people are looking into more cost-effective alternatives. Some might spend $20 on a brush and not think anything of it, but a sponge does have a limited lifespan and would need to be replaced far more frequently, even when well-cared-for, than a brush.

Several companies have similar products – there’s a Sephora branded one, a Real Techniques introduced one, and there are several others from various companies, including some, generic ones. Bundle Monster actually has a set of four sponges for around $10-15 online. I’ve seen participants in various communities say that there is no difference when it comes to the Beautyblender vs Bundle Monster sponges and that you should save your money. I also have a friend who exclusively buys the less costly variants, swearing  up and down that they are identical.

I endeavored to do a Beautyblender vs Bundle Monster Sponge comparison for a while. Then, a friend bought the 4pc Bundle Monster pack and decided she wouldn’t need all four, and was sweet enough to give me two on Friday, so I was equipped…for science!

I unboxed my two sponges and immediately noticed that they were a denser foam, former to the touch. The base of the teardrop Bundle Monster sponge (mine is purple), which is what I will be comparing to the Beautyblender, was wider and slightly flatter so that it sits up on its own if you set it down that way. It is also ever-so-slightly larger, as you can see here:

BeautyBlender vs Bundle Monster Spongebeautyblender vs bundle monster sponges

Please pardon my slightly less-than-pristine Beautyblender, as she is well-loved. I then wet them simultaneously. It did take a little bit more effort to dampen the sponge, and required more squeezing. When I squeezed it after its initial saturation, some suds oozed out – err, what? I continued to saturate and ring it out until that stopped, about five times. At its largest, it is also larger than the original Beautyblender. This is not always a good thing, though, as it can be more difficult to blend in narrower areas like around your nose, eyes, etc. Here they are dampened (enlarged) and wrung out – I realized after the fact that I am a damn fool and should have included something for scale so you could get an idea of size before and after, but gimme a break. (If you’d like to see the wet vs dry Beautyblender vs Bundle Monster Sponge comparison I’m happy to oblige – just let me know in the comments!)

BeautyBlender vs Bundle Monster Sponge

BeautyBlender vs Bundle Monster Sponge

I was considering doing a Beautyblender vs Bundle Monster Sponge side by side application comparison, but decided against it for now – let me know in the comments if that is relevant to your interests. Instead, I slapped on my foundation with the Bundle Monster Sponge. As I always do when using a sponge like this, I pumped one pump of foundation to the back of my hand, picked up some of the product with the sponge, and began to stipple it onto my face. Two things I noticed immediately: 1) it feels very rubbery and bouncy on your face – it actually bounces and 2) it absorbed more product than the Beautyblender, and did not allow me to deposit all of the absorbed foundation onto my face.

With the Beautyblender, I use about 1.5 pumps of my foundation (which is currently MUFE HD Invisible Cover). The Bundle Monster Sponge had me use about 2.25 pumps to achieve similar coverage. I definitely did not expect this, since the BM sponge is a denser foam – if anything, I’d have thought it would absorb less. After a couple minutes, I was able to blend out my foundation to my desired coverage (medium-ish, I wasn’t doing anything special except guinea pigging). It did the job, but it took a little longer.

It is also important to note how they wash and how easy they are to care for. The BM sponge took more elbow grease to thoroughly clean both with baby shampoo and a Blendercleanser Solid, but did eventually come completely clean without staining. It took slightly longer to fully dry, but that can also be attributed to the density of the sponge.

In all, the Bundle Monster Sponges are an acceptable alternative to Beautyblenders, but it is important they are not identical in form or performance. It takes longer to achieve the same result with the Bundle Monster Sponges, they do not clean quite as quickly. At this point, it is difficult to tell how long they will last, longevity-wise –  but even if they last only 1/4 as long each, the savings are still there at only $10-15 for a pack of four. That said, it is also possible to find Beautyblenders for less than regular retail (Amazon.com, etc).

Disclosure: Neither Beautyblender or Bundle Monster know who I am, as far as I know. I just tried this on my own and wanted to share – I recommend both products, but only you can know your needs. That said, some of the links here are affiliate links – this means I may get a very small percentage of the sale if you decide to buy something. I’ll only tell you that something is awesome if I have verified it myself!

Worth it? GlamGlow ThirstyMud

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GlamGlow was conceived by a couple in Hollywood who were looking to help out some friends’ skin concerns. What started as a favor, friend-to-friend, ultimately developed into a wildly successful and popular skincare brand. Only available for retail for three years, they have received scads of awards for being awesome and are used personally, in salons/spas, and by the professionals the product was originally intended for.

GlamGlow ThirstyMud

GlamGlow ThirstyMud treatment

I’ve made no bones about the fact that I do not believe in miracle products. The purveyors of the YouthMud Tinglexfoliate and the SuperMud Clearing treatments released GlamGlow ThirstyMud around (I think) holiday season 2013.

Resources I generally trust thought highly of the brand, so when some of these people came forth raving about the GlamGlow ThirstyMud mask, I was intrigued. Though the mask can be applied and removed, the consensus was the same: slap it on before bed. Go to sleep. Wake up and be stunned by how awesome your skin looks (and feels!). Women reported that their husbands and boyfriends (who, per them, do not usually notice) were also noticing and commenting on the difference.

Kicker? The $69 price tag for 1.7 ounces of product. OUCH. I like masks, but that’s over $40 per ounce. Does it have gold in it? I promptly forgot about the product because it is simply too much to ask (for my needs and skin).

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Ponds Luminous Finish BB Cream

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Ponds Luminous Finish BB CreamPonds Luminous Finish BB Cream

I don’t bother with foundation on a daily basis for two reasons: 1) I’m lazy, and 2) I just generally prefer not to. There are days, though, where I’d like to even my skin out and wear SOMETHING without going all-out with a full-face. I received a sample of the Ponds Luminous Finish BB Cream ($10, drugstores) recently when I restocked on my beloved Ponds Wipes (the Original Wet Cleansing Towelettes), tucked it into my drawer o’ samples, and forgot about it for a while. This is what the Pond’s site has to say about it:

Essential Features
  • Superior Coverage of Imperfections
  • Superior Visible Dark Spot Reduction
  • Superior Non-Greasy Feel, with a Matte Finish
  • Broad spectrum SPF 15 sun protection
  • Non-comedogenic – won’t clog pores
  • Dermatologist tested
  • Hypoallergenic

Sounds good, doesn’t look like it is making wild and crazy claims. That makes me feel pretty good, because after all…if it sounds too good to be true, you’re probably screwed.

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How to Dry Makeup Brushes

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After you have thoroughly washed and rinsed your makeup brushes, it is important to see that they dry thoroughly to preserve the structural integrity of the brush and to prevent stuff like mildew.

Once you have rinsed your brushes, you should gently squeeze the bristles over the sink to remove excess water. At this point, you can lay them down horizontally on a towel in a well-ventilated area and leave them to dry, rotating them every few hours so that the side touching the towel can face up.

Alternatively, you can purchase a brush holder like this one or this one (larger) from Benjabelle. The base of the stand is in the center supports a platform that suspends the brushes upside down in silicone grips. Sigma also has a product for this purpose called a Dry’n Shape, which is a case that opens and folds into a cylinder with holders for brushes that dries and shapes them.

Or, you could be like me and forego the fancy equipment for now. Below, I have a few brushes in brush guards (which are also nice if you need to toss brushes into a bag that doesn’t have slots for them to keep them safe). They are suspended from a towel rack with a simple hair elastic (a regular rubber band is fine, too!) – something most of us have lying around the house.

How to Dry Makeup BrushesHow to Dry Makeup Brushes

To do this, take your elastic and hold it between the towel rack and the wall. Pull the top and bottom forward in front of the rack and slide your brushes in. This will secure your brushes there and we can (to quote Ronco) set it and forget it. I frequently tackle this whole thing at night, and by the time I wake up the next morning, my brushes are dry. If you don’t let them dry while you’re sleeping, though, remove the brush guard about 2-3 hours into drying – this will expedite the remaining time. Once all is done, enjoy your now-pristine brushes that may now feel like you’re rubbing a kitten on your face.

Disclosure: None of this stuff sponsored. That said, some of the links in this post are affiliate links – this means I may get a very small percentage of the sale if you decide to buy something. I’ll only tell you that something is awesome if I have verified it myself!