dupe

Beauty

Ya’ll know I love a full coverage foundation. That’s why I don’t want anyone to have a heart attack when I say in the past few months, all I’ve been wearing is light, sheer coverage.

I KNOW. I KNOW.

But before you have the reaction I would have six months ago, let me make my case.

I started having skin issues about two or three months ago, when I realized my thick Tarte Shape Tape concealer that I swear by was beginning to really dry out my undereye area. Since I was wearing it every day during the week, I think my face just really needed a break. I tried every moisturizer on the market, but nothing helped. So, I stopped wearing concealer.

At this point, I figured 1) full foundation without concealer to cover up my zombie eyes is going to look ridiculous on me, and 2) my whole face probably needed a break.

I went on the hunt for a good face sunscreen, and landed on the IT Cosmetics SPF 50 CC Cream.

This is where everything changed.

makeup, Beauty, foundation, IT Cosmetics

Since it’s humid and hot where I live, makeup in the summer doesn’t ever work very well, anyway. I started wearing the CC cream with a little of my Loreal Magic Lumi Highlighter underneath my eyes for a little pop, and then using my normal blush and bronzer on top.

And I liked it better than ever.

In the past 2 months or so of wearing this combo, my skin has changed. My face is so much clearer and I have less redness in my cheeks than ever before! Because of that, my freckles really stand out and the CC cream lets them show through. I really like being able to show off my skin, accentuating my features while covering what I really need to and adding sun protection (which if you know me, I am a huge advocate of!)

When I want a little more of a full makeup look, I’ve still been wearing the CC cream, but mixing in the Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation. The Lumi foundation keeps the dewy, natural look going— but gives you a little more coverage and a more even, smooth finish. I sometimes use the Lumi on its own, too. It’s got SPF, and its similar enough to the IT Cosmetics to interchange.

It’s no secret I don’t own a lot go high-end makeup, but the IT Cosmetics cream is a new must for me. It costs $38 at Ulta, but you can usually find a coupon to take a little off. I have not been able to find a dupe for this product, and I have tried about every CC/BB cream at the drugstore! And the Lumi line, which I obviously love, is already at the drugstore. Score!

If you’re a full coverage girl, give this a shot. If you don’t want to shell out your money for the CC Cream, run to Walgreens and pick up the Lumi. You will be glad you did!

Are ya’ll interested in seeing a video or photo step-by-step on how I do this light-coverage routine? Just let me know! I would love to share! 

Xoxo

Ivana

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I’ve recently picked up some new makeup, both from Walgreens and Ulta, that I am absolutely loving for summer! Here are some of my top new (and just new to me) makeup picks for the season.

Southern Style Diaries, Ivana Hrynkiw

1. L’Oreal True Match Lumi foundation

No lie, I bought this because of the royal wedding. After that beautiful day, I went on the hunt for what makeup products Meghan Markle uses. I found out that she really likes the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation— but let’s be real, your girl doesn’t have $60 to drop on a foundation! But, I’m about to rock your world. Armani, YSL, and L’Oreal makeup products are made in the same factory. Yes, the high-end, expensive products are made side-by-side with the drugstore versions, because L’Oreal owns Armani. After a little research, I learned that the Loreal True Match Lumi foundation and the Armani Luminous Silk are super similar in ingredients.

I had to try this, and after a little swatch work, I picked shade W1-2 (the lightest I could find, but maybe still a little dark for fair-skinned girls). I’ve been loving this! I’ve been applying this with a wet sponge— EcoTools right now is my favorite— and it gives the perfect coverage without covering my freckles… which is another tip I got from Princess Meghan. And, it has SPF! Perfect for summer date nights or outdoor weddings.

2. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream

I’m picky about BB/CC creams, and I initially was on the fence about this one. I actually meant to buy the new IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation, but I didn’t realize until after I first used it that I had actually bought the CC cream on accident. This stuff has SPF 50 which is amazing for people like me who constantly burn in the summer. I love that this CC Cream is good for your skin, but gives you just enough coverage to hide blemishes without being cake or heavy. This also blends great with the brand’s Bye Bye Under Eye concealer that I swear by! Warning, it does have a citrus like scent when you first pump it out of the tube.

3 & 6. Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder in “Precious Petals” and ColorIcon Baked Blush in “Don’t Flutter Yourself”

I bought these new WnW products at CVS and I haven’t seen them anywhere else yet. They’re part of the line’s new summer product launch. And the colors are all very sparkly and bright. “Precious Petals” is a light, bronzey gold highlight that really reminds me of the highlight in Chrissy Tiger’s Becca palette! But, 10x less expensive and I think it actually applies smoother. To be honest, it’s probably not the best shade for me… but I still love it! “Don’t Flutter Yourself” is a very light, glittery pink color that I actually like to use as a topper over my more peachy blushes, like Milani Luminoso. If you like the way light pinks look on you though (I do not) I think you will die over this! And at just $5, you should.

4. NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in “Maui Suntan”

I know these are technically highlighting sticks, but I’ve been using mine as a cream bronzer. Hear me out— I’m not usually a big cream product person, but I saw @theblondemeatball post a picture talking about this product and it looked absolutely stunning on her. I was intrigued, and had to pick it up at ULTA! I use it by drawing a 3 on each side of my face— along the sides of my forehead, in the hollow of my cheek, and under my jaw— and blend out either using a wet makeup sponge or a small stippling brush. The Maui Suntan illuminating stick looks so beautiful and glowy for summertime! It also looks so natural and like you just got home from a beach vacation (without harming your skin!)

5. L’Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Highlighter

This was another one of my royal wedding makeup impulse purchases, but I’m pretty sure I had this at some point years and years ago. I bought this thinking it had a little more coverage like a concealer, but the “coverage” is actually really minimal. It’s more like a brightener and it gives a really beautiful, lit-from-within glow instead of being a chunky, glittery highlighter. I think on no-makeup days, this Magic Lumi Highlighter will be gorgeous with my tinted moisturizer under my eyes and on the high points of my face!

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I have been meaning to try the new-ish Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation for a few months, but it wasn’t carried at my Walgreens. Recently, I found it at another Walgreens not too far from me, and I knew I had to try it.

I got 2 colors: Porcelain (the lightest shade) and Shell Ivory. Word to the wise- buy lighter/ warmer, than you think you need! I swatched Shell Ivory at the store and thought it looked great. After I purchased it and got in the car, I looked at my hand and it had turned PINK. Like, straight pink. I like my foundations to have a pink undertone- because that’s what my skin looks like naturally- but this was on another level.

I went back and bought Porcelain, which looked way too light but oxidized to a decent match. In the end, I used mostly Porcelain on my face with a few drops of Shell Ivory. The funny thing is, it turned out to be the perfect match.

According to Wet N Wild’s website, the product is tested in 7 lighting conditions to make sure it doesn’t give your face a white cast in flash photos. It says, “Your skin, only better. Our new high-performing, skin-perfecting foundation underwent major road testing under seven different photo lighting conditions to deliver flawless camera-ready makeup every time. Specially made with a matte, light-diffusing complex to give your skin #nofilter perfection.”

Applying the PhotoFocus Foundation

I took pictures of my face right after I finished my makeup, so you can see what the finished look is like immediately. For reference, I applied with a sponge.  No, my pictures didn’t have flash because I’m dumb and didn’t think about that until right now.

Southern Style Diaries, Ivana Hrynkiw, Photo Focus foundation Photo Focus foundation

My first impression was that I LOVED the Photo Focus foundation. It has a beautiful, satin finish and blends so easily with my concealer and other powders. While it was work to find the perfect shade, I ended up with probably the best foundation match I have ever had.

(Yes, my neck looks darker in these pictures, but I went a little hard with the self tanner the night before!)

Photo Focus foundation Photo Focus foundation

Throughout the day, my skin looked amazing. I didn’t use a shine sheet or any powders because I wanted to show ya’ll a true wear test, and honestly I never really felt like I needed to! I would have liked to around 2 p.m., but it wasn’t a dire situation or anything.

12.5 hours later…

I had a crazy day, which made for a really good test for the foundation’s staying power. I went to work, had several interviews, ate three meals, went to the grocery store, and tidied up my house… and at 7 p.m. (approximately 12.5 hours after applying in the morning) it still looked pretty good.

While I wouldn’t say my foundation didn’t budge, it was probably only something I would notice or you would have to be close to see. It settled into lines around my mouth and nose, which ended up moving around and rubbing off a little– but 90 percent of my makeup was still in place.

To be fair, I applied this with a sponge– I usually prefer applying my foundations with a brush, but I wanted to try a sponge for my first impression here. I find if it looks good with a sponge, it will look even better with a brush! Most foundations on my skin tend to have a better staying power with a brush.

Overall, the Photo Focus foundation did amazing things for me. It is a medium coverage, matte but not spackle on your face, insanely affordable product… I’m sold. I could go on about how much I loved it, but I’m trying to be brief here. I will say, I think the website’s description is spot on.

Basically, I’m in love with Wet N Wild’s Photo Focus Foundation and I think it has already made its way into my every day rotation. The foundation is $5.99 online and in Walgreens stores, so it won’t break your break… and you may just fall in love like I did.

Buy it here on Amazon

This post was not sponsored; all opinions are my own

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Makeup Revolution isn’t the most talked-about brand. It’s not super easily accessible in the U.S. (it’s only available at Ulta here) and not many beauty YouTubers rave about their new products like they do with NYX or Maybelline.

All of that said, Makeup Revolution is a goldmine. It’s super affordable– with large eyeshadow palettes for $15 and lipsticks for $5– and the quality is great. I have used a few of their products in the past, but I have really been loving them since I discovered some of their most coveted products.

These are a few things from the line that I’m really looking forward to this fall and had seen online. I recently bought these from Ulta when there was a gift promo, for a free highlighter and blush palette with any Makeup Revolution purchase… safe to say, I was sold.

So far, of what I’ve used from this haul, I have really enjoyed the products! If you’re interested, I will certainly follow up with a review or a video.

Makeup Revolution

  1. Rose Gold Lipstick (Chauffeur)

Rumor is these lipsticks are dupes for the Charlotte Tilbury ones, even down to the packaging. I have never tried those, but I am in if they’re anything like the MR version!

2. Vivid Baked Highlighters (Radiant Lights)

This swatch is so beautiful, I had to resist buying all the colors. I haven’t used on my face yet, but just testing it made me excited.

3.  Flawless 3 Resurrection Palette 

Total disclaimer: I went to the store to buy this, and walked out with the Flawless 2 palette on accident. That one’s awesome too, but I am probably returning that to buy this one because those are the colors I’m more interested in. Flawless 3 looks so similar to Naked Heat, I want to find out if its a dupe! Flawless 2 is great though, especially if you’re looking for more cool tones and a range of browns. Thumbs up on both palettes!

4. Vivid Shimmer Brick (Radiant) 

This product totally reminds me of a bronzer I had in high school, that me and my friend Marissa used until it was in pieces. We used it as a bronzer, eyeshadow, and probably whatever else we thought was trendy at the time. So, this was partly a nostalgic purchase but also partly because I’m a sucker for sparkly gold eyeshadow.

5. Retro Luxe Matte Lip Kit (Reign)

Kylie lip kit, anyone? My future mother-in-law got me hooked on the Kylie kits, so I had to check this out.

This post is not sponsored; all opinions are my own

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I love makeup. I love the process of doing my makeup, and I love how seeing the final result too. But, even I’ll admit, I hardly ever wear eyeshadow to work. I barely have time in the mornings to put on my foundation and concealer, let alone eyeshadow and liner.

There is an exception though— when I know I have plans after work, I try to up my face game a little. Whether it be dinner with my mom or drinks with my girlfriends, I like to be ready to go straight from work, because if I go home to redo my face, there’s a solid chance I won’t be leaving again!

Here’s where Naked 3 comes in. The warm, pink tones are so flattering and can create so many soft looks that are perfect for transitioning from the office to the dinner table.

This is one of my favorite looks to create from the palette! I hope you enjoy the look and make it your own. All products are linked!

Naked 3

Yes, I put on eyeliner BEFORE  shadow. I put it on before to give the effect of smoky, soft liner, because I’m not really good with pencil liner (I know that sounds ridiculous). You can also line your lids with the darkest color in the palette, Blackheart, after you finish your eyeshadow for the same effect. I do that often too, but I find that Blackheart has REALLY bad fallout for me and I’m not about that life. Maybe I just got a dud though, so feel free to try that!

Use Strange as base. I use a big, fluffy brush to spread it across my lid and brow bone to cover the whole area. I also like to go in with Reserve Your Cabana  (a “bronzer” form Wet & Wild) over Strange to give it a little more shimmer.

Then, use Burnout with a little Limit mixed in as your transition color. This just means you sweep it into your crease, and a tiny bit above, to define your eye shape and to make the darker colors blend in easier. I use a 99 cent Wet & Wild crease brush that I personally think is the best on the market!

Go in with Nooner on the outer crease if you want to darken the look a little. I have pretty big eyelids, so I like to make my crease really defined with this color! I also just love Nooner in general.

Finally, use Factory as your outer V color— this is just another fancy makeup term that means to sweep the color in a sideways “V” shape, from the outer corner of your lash line and in the very outer part of your crease. You can even stretch it out a bit and make it just past your crease, towards your temple, to widen your eyes!

And you’re done! The look is a great way to up your makeup game for work, and take it into the night without feeling like you just came from, you know…. work.

P.S.- If you don’t have Naked 3 and are looking for a drugstore option, I think NYC’s Demi Lovato palette is definitely comparable! I love that palette, and you can’t beat the price tag. 

I hope you enjoy this look and let me know what you want to see next!

This post is not sponsored; all opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliates. 

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Kat Von D’s Shade and Light vs. NYX’s Highlight and Contour Pro

For the price difference, is the Shade and Light palette worth it?

Kat Von D
NYX

With everyone and their grandmother contouring these days, there are so many products on the shelves in both drugstores and in Sephora. Youtube beauty vloggers have sworn by Shade and Light for more than a year now, but is it really worth it? NYX’s option is slightly harder to find (my Ulta was sold out for weeks), its much less expensive and comes with two more colors.  After using both palettes, I have thoughts.

Kat Von D: Shade & light

Let’s start with the high-end version. The Kat Von D Shade and Light palette will set you back $46 and comes with three highlight shades and three contour shades.

Kat Von D

First, the things I love about this Shade and Light: The contour colors are incredibly soft and light. They almost come across looking blurred– which I love because my skin is so fair. Second, all the shades are incredibly blendable so you don’t have to worry about spending forever making sure you don’t have any harsh lines. I also really like the lightest highlight shade, and I put it over my under eye concealer for an extra pop of awake-ness.

While I love this palette, there are a few things I don’t like. First, the price. I held out on buying this for so long, but my lovely boyfriend bought it for me as a Christmas present after hearing me complain long enough. Second, while the contour shades work for me, I’m not sure how well they would work on someone with a darker complexion. Even the darkest shade isn’t really that dark. I am usually the first or second lightest in foundation shades, and even I can use two of Shade and Light’s contour shades.

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Top to bottom: Levitation, Lyric, Lucid

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The color payoff also is not amazing. That is good for me, because I would rather have to put on more product for a more dramatic look than risk going overboard on accident. Again, fair-skinned girls will like this about the palette.

While I like the pinky color for setting my under eye area, I am not super impressed by the other highlight shades. Personally I like a more shimmery highlight, and all of these colors are matte. Maybe one day I’ll try the other two colors, but I definitely don’t reach for them.

contour, makeup

 

NYX: Highlight & contour pro palette

NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette costs about $20 on Amazon ($25 at Ulta) and comes with four contour shades and four highlight shades. I got mine at Ulta, but I only found it after the third trip because they kept selling out! Some Target and CVS stores carry the palette, too.

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Top to bottom: Hollow, Sculpt, Toffee, Tan

I love the cool contour shade in this palette (the second one from the top in the swatches- hover above photos for names). It works to contour my cheekbones with still seeming sort of natural, without looking like I have a ton of makeup on. One main difference in these colors than in Kat Von D’s is that the NYX colors have a slight shimmer, while Kat Von D’s colors are matte. That totally depends on preference- I usually go for a shimmery blush and highlight, so I prefer a matte contour color.

NYX

The pigmentation on these colors is better than Shade and Light- you need less product to get the look you want. That is especially true for the highlight shades– I love the first highlight in this palette! It’s probably worth buying the palette just for that color, honestly.

There are some downfalls to this palette, though. First of all, I’ve found that most of the contour colors don’t really work for me. With the exception of one, I think the others are both too dark and too warm for my skin. In the Kat Von D palette, I can use two of the contour shades and they both look good, while only one in NYX works.

NYX’s shades are blendable, but not quite like Kat Von Ds. It takes a little longer to achieve a seamless look, and there is a decent amount of fallout with every shade. The color pots are also smaller, too.

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Overall, I like both palettes a lot. However, I reach for Kat Von D’s more. I think the colors there work for me better, and they are SO easy to blend. I am all about fast, and the quicker I can blend my makeup and get going, the better. Either one of these palettes is a good purchase, but I would definitely consider your skin tone before purchasing either, because that’s the key factor when it boils down to it.

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