Benefit First-Class Faves Review + Makeup Look

beauty
Hey everyone! I wanted to do a review of the Benefit First-Class Faves travel makeup set that my mom gave to me. My mom got it at the airport at one of the Benefit machine kiosks. This set comes with 6 travel sized makeup goodies. It includes a travel-sized POREfessional primer, Roller Lash mascara, Dandelion Dew, Cha Cha Tint, Dandelion Brightening Blush and Total Moisture facial cream.
Here is a picture of me with the new makeup on. I applied the Roller Lash mascara to my eyelashes on my left eye, and no mascara on the right eyelashes. The mascara is super lengthening and it holds a curl really nicely. I used my new Morphe 35T palette for my eyeshadow. I will do a review on this palette later! Here are my thoughts on all the makeup in the Benefit travel set...

P O R E F E S S I O N A L  P R I M E R
I really love this primer! A little goes a long way. I find this this primer does a nice job at blurring away any imperfections and smoothing them over. I don't have huge pores, so I didn't see a huge difference there. I also think this primer makes putting on face makeup a lot easier and makes your foundation look a lot nicer. I think the POREfressional primer is very similar to the BareMinerals primer.

R O L L E R   L A S H  M A S C A R A
I've been using this mascara so much lately, because it's extremely lengthening! It also separates the lashes very nicely. It isn't super volumizing, so I usually pair it with my Maybelline Volum Express Colossal mascara or my Essence Lash Princess mascara. If I want a more natural look, I will just apply the roller lash mascara. This mascara isn't waterproof but it still holds very nicely. It's also super easy to remove since it isn't waterproof.

D A N D E L I O N  D E W
I usually don't wear blush, because I think too much can look really unnatural. However, I really like how this gives a nice pinky glow to the skin. Since it's a creamy product, it looks very natural and it also smells really good. It blends very well and is very subtle. I also think it would look good on any skin color.

C H A  C H A  T I N T
This tint can be worn on cheeks and lips. It's a darker color than the dandelion dew and blush. The tint lasts long as a lip color and acts like a lip stain. The tint applies nicely and looks good, but I prefer to use the lighter dandelion blush and dew, because it looks more natural.

D A N D E L I O N  B L U S H
This blush is the same color as the dandelion dew but it's a powder instead of a cream. I think the dew lasts longer than the blush but the blush is nice is you have really oily skin.

T O T A L  M O I S T U R E   C R E A M
This facial cream smells super good and is very moisturizing! I am definitely going to use it more in the winter when my face gets super dry. 

Thanks for reading!
Thea 
xx

OOTD: 2.20.16 ♡

activities

Here is my outfit of the day from 2 weeks ago. I went out to lunch with two of my friends at The Cheesecake Factory, and we went shopping at the mall afterwards! ♡


Necklace- Baked Beads
Sweater- Tex by Max Azria
Skirt- Zara
Boots- Forever 21

I think this outfit is perfect for the Winter/Fall time, because the colors are darker and the sweater will keep you warm if its cold outside. I got this skirt at the airport on my way home from my trip to London. It's super cute, and feels like a suede material. I also like how it has buttons in the middle of the skirt, which reminds me of the 80's and 90's when button down skirts were popular. 

Moisturizer- Lancome
Primer- Pur Cosmetics
Foundation- Rimmel London
Setting Powder- Laura Mercier
Bronzer- Wet n Wild
Highlighter- Becca
Eyeliner- Essence of Beauty
Eyeshadow- Too Faced
Mascara- Benefit
Eyebrow Pencil- Anastasia
Eyebrow Pomade- Anastasia
Eyebrow Gel- Anastasia
Eyelash Curler- Revlon

I ordered my favorite food ever- pasta! 

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post and have a great day :)

Disclaimer: All thought, opinion and photos are mine.

Animal Cruelty Free Drugstore Makeup ♡

animal cruelty free

Now that I've started researching animal cruelty free makeup products, I've noticed that they are more expensive than other makeup products. There also aren't many drugstores brands that sell animal cruelty free makeup, so usually you have to buy from expensive brands. I have found a few makeup brands that are from the drugstore (so they're less expensive!), and I have listed some below. I wish there were more big drugstore makeup companies that were animal cruelty free, but sadly there isn't a large variety. I hope you enjoy and find this post useful when you are shopping for new makeup products at the drugstore! ♡



Face Moisturizer- CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion
Face Primer- NYX Angel Veil Skin Perfecting Primer
Tinted Moisturizer- Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
Concealer- NYX HD Concealer
Cream Contour- e.l.f. Studio Cream Contour Palette
Setting Powder- NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder
Powder Contour Bronzer- Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer
Blush- Milani Baked Blush
Highlighter- e.l.f. Baked Highlighter
Eyelash Curler- NYX Eyelash Curler
Eyeshadow Primer- NYX Proof It Eyeshadow Primer
Mascara- Physicians Formula Lash Transformation Kit
Gel Eyeliner- NYX Eyeliner Smudge
Lipstick- e.l.f. Studio Lipstick
Eyeshadow Palette- Sonia Kashuk Eye Couture
Eyeshadow Palette- e.l.f. Studios Need-It-Nude Palette
Makeup Bag- Forever 21 Polka Dot Makeup Bag
Lip Pencil- e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color
Eyebrow Pencil- NYX Microbrow Pencil
Eyebrow Gel- NYX Control Free Eyebrow Gel
Makeup Brushes- Sonia Kashuk Brush Set

Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and pictures are mine :)



Animal Cruelty Free High End Makeup ♡

animal cruelty free
Here is a list of high end makeup that is animal cruelty free, which means these companies don't test on animals. You can buy most of these makeup products at Sephora or Ulta Beauty. I'm going to post an animal cruelty free drugstore makeup list later! It's very hard to find brands that are very good quality, but also well regarded, that are animal cruelty free. Most big beauty brands still test their products on animals, or their parent company tests on animals, in order to sell in foreign markets. I hope this helps if you're looking for high end makeup products that don't test on animals! ♡


Face Moisturizer- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Face Primer- Too Faced Primed & Poreless
Foundation- Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
Concealer- Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer
Cream Contour- Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit
Setting Powder- NARS Invisible Loose Setting Powder
Powder Contour Bronzer- NARS Bronzing Powder
Eyeshadow Primer- Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Brushes- Sigma Travel Kit
Mascara- Too Faced Mascara
Highlighter- BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector
Blush- Too Faced Love Flush Long-Lasting Blush
Eyebrow Gel- Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel
Eyelash Curler- NARS Eyelash Curler
Makeup Bag- Marc by Marc Jacobs Cosmetic Case
Eyeliner- Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
Eyeshadow Palette- Too Faced Natural Eyes Neutral
Lip Pencil- Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint
Lip Liner- NARS Velvet Lip Liner
Sponge- Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge
Eyebrow Pencil- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
Setting Spray- Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Thanks for reading! 

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and photos are my own :)

Product Review: e.l.f. Cosmetics Blush & Bronzer Duo and Tone Correcting Powder

beauty

Recently, I picked up the blush & bronzer duo from Target, because it was on clearance. I have heard many good things about this product, so I was really excited to see it on clearance! I've had the tone correcting powder for about a year now, so I thought I would share my opinions on both of theses e.l.f. products.


Details: "Create a healthy and natural glow all year long with the Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder. The blush highlights the cheeks to add a flush of color, while the bronzer accents and contours cheekbones for beautiful definition. This convenient compact has just what you need to achieve a gorgeous glow anytime, anywhere." -e.l.f. website

How to Use: "Brush on the bronze to the hollow of the cheeks for definition and dust around the face line to create a healthy glow. Use the blush on the apple of the cheeks to create a subtle healthy glow." -e.l.f. website

 



I bought this blush & bronzer duo for $2.55 at Target. This product normally retails for $3.00. The packaging of this product is most similar to the packaging of NARS cosmetics. I like the matte black design, however it gets dirty very easily and shows oil and fingerprints on it. The bronzer and blush are extremely pigmented, which can be a very good or bad thing. When you dip your brush into the blush or bronzer, a lot of product comes off. When you apply the product to your face, you should use a light hand or else you can get harsh lines and will have to blend it out a lot. The bronzer does a good job of contouring and the blush and bronzer can both be blended easily. Also, this duo includes a mirror which is perfect for on the go. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive blush and bronzer and has tanner skin. The "antigua" shade may be too dark for people with paler skin.


Tone Correcting Powder (Cool)

Details: "Create a balanced and radiant complexion that is beautiful and healthy. The lightweight formula evens out skin tone and absorbs excess oil, and sheer formula brightens, mattes and neutralizes the skin. The colors are meant to be blended together as the blue neutralizes orange, the green neutralizes red, the pink neutralizes grey and the yellow brightens and neutralizes red." -e.l.f. website

How to Use: "Blend the powder over the entire face to brighten and even out the skin tone as well as neutralize any redness." -e.l.f. website





I bought this product a year ago for $3.00 at Target. When I first started using this product, I would use the colors individually instead of together. I tried using the green powder as a concealer, which didn't work at all. The powder didn't neutralize anything on my face when I used them individually, but then I learned that I was supposed to mix the colors. Now, I really enjoy this products, because it brightens up my face and sets my foundation. I use my Laura Mercier translucent powder when I want my face to look more matte and less oily and shiny throughout the day. I also like how this tone correcting powder doesn't make my face look cakey over my foundation. I should have bought the warmer version of this palette instead, because my face has warmer undertones instead of cooler ones. I still find that this product works well on my face and I would recommend this to anyone who has cooler undertones and needs a good inexpensive powder to brighten and set their makeup with. 
 

Thank you so much for reading and please leave any comments below! Also, subscribe to my email list to be notified when I post :)

Disclaimer: All thoughts, opinions and pictures are mine