Wednesday, June 18, 2014

L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Perfecting Makeup - swatch

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

L'Oreal Magic Nude Perfecting Makeup 
I am always on the lookout for the next bargain in beauty.  Especially when that means I can dupe an expensive product I have lemmed over.  L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Perfecting Makeup was the bargain solution to a very expensive want of mine.  When Armani's Maestro liquid foundation came onto the market, it created a roar!  A very liquid foundation contained in a bottle with a dropper system that blended onto the skin and created the most natural yet perfected face around.  What?  I know, right?  Sounded too good to be true.  But people were having success with that foundation...unfortunately, that foundation was also over $50 USD, and I had to take a rain check.  

But with L'Oreal, I had heard that this was an exact dupe.  Forgive me as I could never get close enough to Armani's to tell, but google it, people have stated they are dupes.  I purchased Magic Nude at my local Meijer for $8.00 USD, and that was on sale with a coupon.  I have seen this foundation retail up to over $12 USD, so it is a bit pricey for a drugstore foundation, but stay with me.  Inside the lovely glass bottle, you get 0.91fl.oz/27ml of liquid goodness.  The Magic Nude range comes in 12 colors, from light to dark, which is a nice change from usual drugstore foundation colors. 

L'Oreal Magic Nude  - packaging
L'Oreal Magic Nude - 328 Sun Beige
L'Oreal Magic Nude Sun Beige - direct sun / no flash
The color I chose was Sun Beige 328.  It was the one that closely matched me at the time.  For my latina skin tone, it was nice finding something that was really spot on for my face!  On the back of the bottle, it gives you application tips as this is not a foundation you want to use with a brush or sponge.  Why?  It is just too liquid.  Once you shake Magic Nude, you take a few drops and apply/blend on your face.  The feel of this foundation is unreal.  It almost feels oily when you blend it on your skin and then you get a powdery dry down.  I did not need much of this to achieve a fully covered face.  Now that it is getting warm, I find that I have to powder my t-zone around hour 3 of wear, but the feel this has, even in the warm weather, is so nice, I am willing to touch up!  It is so light on the skin it is unreal.  Now, I am combo/oily, and my t-zone gets oily no matter what, but I liked that this foundation did not break down on my face.  Your mileage may vary depending on how oily you are/may get.  I will continue to purchase this...a bit of luxury at a drugstore price!

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

Monday, June 16, 2014

Spring Skincare - Update

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*


Spring Skin Care regimen
Today I have a quick update on what my spring skincare has been.  I will state that I have combination/oily skin and tend to get dry patches throughout the year...

* Reviva Labs DMAE & Alpha Lipoic Acid & Vitamin C Ester Firming Eye Serum ( a thick serum that is light on texture/feel, heavy duty on fine lines, used morning and night)

* Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid Lotion ( have used this on again, off again for years...keeps skin soft, used as day cream)

* Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream ( cult favorite that I use for lips, dry patches around nose, forehead and cheeks and also lightly patted under eyes when extra hydration/protection needed)

* Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic ( it claims to do a few things, I claim that it refreshes my skin, adds an extra layer of moisture before my creams and sinks into skin)

* Lumene Vitamin C+ Dry Skin Comfort Radiance Cocktail ( used at night, this vitamin c packed serum hydrates like nothing else and brightens my skin)

What products do you tend to use during the spring time?

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*


Beauty Blogazon Weekly Roundup 6/15/2014



Sunday, June 15, 2014

MICA Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta - swatches

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

Potted lip products.  Either you love them or hate them.  I for one am for them.  So I have to be extra careful  that I wash and sanitize my hands every time I use it.  Alright, I can do it.  :)  Inside one of my Ipsy bags from a few months ago was this pot of pigment...

Mica Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta
Mica Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta came in an Ipsy bag I had a few months ago.  I do pay for this subscription and you can find out how you can get it by checking out ipsy.com.  As far as size reference, the size here and the current size on the MICA Beauty site are different.  This is a small plastic pot with screw-on top.  Inside is a decent amount of lip balm, considering it is sample size.  On MICA's website, you can find the full size version of this lip balm for $30.00 USD.  The full size is 0.14oz/4g full of product and also comes with a top that contains a covered lip brush...a feature I really like about this lip product.  The tinted lip balm range comes in 10 shades and nude to deep reds.

MICA Beauty Fiesta tinted lip balm / flash
Fiesta tinted lip balm is unique in formula.  When I first used this, I first noticed how thin the consistency was. Thin?  A thin lip balm?  Yup, I know.  It was thin going on and also felt a bit powdery.  But what got me about this lip balm was the insane color payoff!  When I think tinted, I tend to think "hint of color".  This is FULL ON COLOR folks!

MICA Beauty tinted lip balm - no flash/ overcast
When I first saw the color in the pot, I thought, this is going to be a mulberry kind of shade, too dark, will do nothing to brighten up my face.  WRONG!  Fiesta is a matte, raspberry shade that can be sheered out to a dark fuchsia like color.  Now, is color payoff enough to win you over?  I experienced major dry out wearing this product alone.  When I used a lip base underneath or a gloss on the top, though still pretty, it wasn't the awesome matte texture of first application.  And also, I feel like that since you lose that matte goodness, you lose the color with it as well.  When worn with a base or gloss this yielded much better wear than before.

you can find MICA Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta and other colors  HERE



*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

Thursday, June 12, 2014

My Favorite: Lashes ft. Ardell

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

One of my weaknesses is lashes.  Of all kinds.  But I am very partial to individual and half lashes.  Here I have repurchases of my two favorite sets...

Ardell Accent 308 / Individuals Flare Medium
Half lashes give me drama without the hassle of a full lash band.  Okay, maybe I am lazy some days.  The half lash gaurantees a very fanned out, cat eyed look.  At the same time, I love how these can also be subtle.

Ardell 308 Accent Half Lash
Now, on days where I am not so lazy, individuals are my thing!  I love being able to customize my lash line.  I usually add a couple on the outer corners and a couple in the middle of the lash line for medium drama.  I build from the middle of the lash line to the outer corner, much like a half lash, but I also mix smaller and longer individuals for a ton of flair!

Ardell Individual Medium Flare
I will be uploading some looks soon featuring these lashes!  Remember to check out your local drugstore, beauty supply, etc for sales on Ardell's.  Walgreens and Ulta seem to always have them on sale.

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Ecotools Bamboo 5 piece brush set

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*


Ecotools 5 piece bamboo set
Yes, you have heard it all before.  I...am a brush addict.  I cannot stop buying brushes.  Especially travel size.  I touch up a lot throughout the day and good travel brushes are essential.  Smaller brushes are not necessarily for travel.  I tend to like short handled brushes for certain makeups as they give me the feeling of better and more concise control.

Ecotools 5 piece bamboo brush set was purchased at Ulta for $10.00 USD.  Contained inside a natural fiber bag with zipper, you get:

1 small kabuki
1 short handled blending brush
1 short small foundation/concealer brush
1 short handled powder/blending brush

Bamboo  5 piece contents
The kabuki is fantastic for powder touchups throughout the day.  My one gripe about this brush is having to clean/wash it, but I am sure a ton of people also have that gripe.  The small blender is very useful for concealer but I also like it for a crease brush!  The small foundation brush is decent, I tend to use it for concealer placement around nose/mouth area.  And the prize piece is the powder brush.  Great control, can also be used for blush, blends effortlessly.

For $10, you get a pretty varied range of brushes that are soft, useful, and portable.

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Welcome June! Giveaway

What other excuse do I need for a giveaway other than it is June and you guys are awesome?!?!

Prize Pack #1
Prize Pack #2
So it is now June and what better way to celebrate summer and you guys as my readers than to give away two awesome prize packs!  That is right!  Two winners!

Prize pack #1
 - Zoya nail polish in Dot
 - E.L.F lipstick in Classy
 - Wet n Wild megalast lipstick in Cherry Picking
 - Wet n Wild megalast lipstick in Don't Blink Pink

Prize pack #2
 - E.L.F shimmer lipgloss in Hope
 - Pixi Flawless Base Primer
 - Pop Beauty Smokin Hot shadow trio
 - Wet n Wild liquid liner in Turquoise
 - NYX round lipstick in Cream

Thank you guys for entering and good luck!

Giveaway is U.S only.
Winners will be announced via facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr, google+
giveaway run: 6/11/14 - 6/27/14\


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, June 9, 2014

Beauty Blogazon Weekly Roundup 6/9/2014



Thursday, June 5, 2014

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream - review

*Disclaimer - Product shown was purchased by passengerelement blog.  I am in no way affiliated with this company or am being paid for my review*


Olay Fresh Effect BB Cream
When it comes to BB creams, my knowledge is quite limited.  I do not have access to Asian skincare or makeup near me and do not know enough about it online to make a purchase.  And, as a latina, I have seen some of the shade ranges they come in...doesn't look like any, if at all, would suit me.  But I can't keep away from new products, and I had heard so much from this line and decided to take a bite.

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream was purchased at my local Big Lots for $4.00 USD.  You can find these at most mass retailers and even Ulta.  Inside of the plastic tube, you get 2.5 fl.oz/75ml worth of creamy product.  This usually does retail a bit higher than what I found it, so be aware of that if you are on the lookout.
Olay Fresh Effects - Ingredients
Upon initial use, Fresh Effects BB Cream is heavily scented...all of my sensitive skinned or sensitive nosed people may want to opt out.  The cream was very lightweight and melted into my skin.  What I found surprising was how mattifying this was upon application.  Surprising as usually cream/lotions make me slightly shiny/dewy.
Olay Fresh Effects in Light/Medium - Flash
Fresh Effects in Light/Medium - no flash, overcast
Unfortunately, this did nothing for me.  I had no coverage of any kind.  While did make my skin soft, I saw no evening out of tone or skin perfecting qualities.  Perhaps someone with a much lighter skin color than I could wear this and actually benefit from coverage, color, but this was not a win for me.  What I have liked this for is as a mixer for other moisturizers, concealers and foundations.  I have found that this plays rather nicely with other products I normally did not get much use out of due to formulas and such.  I still can't completely get down with the scent as it lingers....for a while.

If you have nice skin and a lighter skin color...this may be the light summer moisturizer you are looking for.  If you are darker than light medium, I would look elsewhere.

Thanks! :)


Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Prestige Cosmetics Polished Pals Sweepstakes


Polish-a-holics...are you ready to show your like minded polish friends you care?  Then celebrate National Best Friend Day with Prestige Cosmetics on June 8th, 2014!!!  On this day, Prestige Cosmetics will be launching a sweepstakes on their facebook page featuring nail art by Prestige's own nail designer, Gena del Portilla, from I Heart Nailart.

What do you need to do?
 - Head on over to Prestige Cosmetic's facebook sweepstakes page, and tag your bestie under the look that best describes your friendship!
-  Each day until June 13th, they will be releasing a new photo, so stay tuned to their page and keep entering to increase your chances of winning!

What is the prize?
- a pack containing an assortment of their high quality, super glossy wondergloss shades!

Good luck!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Beauty Blogazon Weekly Roundup 6/1/2014