Priming and Perfecting with Studio Gear Prime Objective Skin Perfecting Face Primer

**DISCLAIMER: Item sent by company for the purpose of reviewing.  I am not being financially compensated for this post.  All words and opinions are 100% my own.** *POWERED BY BRANDBACKER*

Well, gone are the days where I could put anything and everything on my face and it would all fall into place and look lovely.  These days....well...we could use a little help.  Now in my early 30's, I am experiencing more issues with texture, tone, oiliness, and did I mention texture?  The mistakes of my youth are now showing themselves in my pores (wahhh).  But that is where Studio Gear comes in with their primer, Prime Objective.  Let us learn a little about this guy, shall we?

Prime Objective Skin Perfecting Face Primer:

Key Features -
Cyclomethicone - primes while leaving the skin incredibly soft and smooth
Liposome System containing Retinol - promotes cell renewal as it diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Pro-Biobalance - highly beneficial in moisturizing, firming, smoothing and balancing stress damaged skin
Lactose, milk protein - used as skin conditioning agent and humectant
Bifida ferment Lysate - serves as balancing care for stress-damaged skin.  protects from environmental stress and stabilizes  the immune system of the skin
Antioxidants - anti aging, promotes cell renewal, strengthens skin structure and protects from enviromental damage
Optical Diffusers - brightening and line minimizing  - Studio Gear

So why do you need this?  Prime Objective helps to give you a perfect canvas by acting as photo retouch!  Lines are blurred, texture minimized and brighteners help to being light to the skin.  Lets talk texture.  Prime Objective feels almost wet when it comes out of the tube.  Super smooth and silky due to its silicone feel, it spreads evenly over skin and immediately you will see the results.

"Prime Objective contains a sustained release liposome system with retinol that can help promote cell turnover and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as a milk protein complex that can help to balance and protect the skin against environmental stresses." - Studio Gear

Pre Prime Objective:

Obvious texture from lingering acne and my inability to keep my hands off of my face (sorry face!).  I also have some discoloration from some previously angry acne blowouts.  This was about an hour or so after washing and lightly moisturizing my face.  Some oils have come about.  This is pretty standard for me.

Post Prime Objective:

Skin is now mattified and looks and feels smoother.  I look a bit more even and though you can still see my hyperpigmentation, it is a bit more diffused.

Now, this primer states that contained within is the liposome system with Retinol.  I have been using this for at least 30 days and have not noticed anything remarkable yet, but keep in mind, I layer skincare before I put on primer/makeup.  It is possible that it is not sinking all the way in and may not be a true testament to the primers anti-aging claim.

Having used this alongside my powder, cream and liquid foundations, I have yet to experience them not playing along.  No changes in formula, oxidation, piling, etc.  This is not scented and is paraben free.

This primer is a welcomed member of my prepping lineup and am excited to have found something that plays well with the rest of my skincare and makeup.  Look forward to seeing what skin will look like after the 3 and 6 month stage.

To find out more about Prime Objective, go HERE.

And for those in the mood to shop...Studio Gear is offering 10% off to my readers...use coupon code BB and start shopping!


**DISCLAIMER: Item sent by company for the purpose of reviewing.  I am not being financially compensated for this post.  All words and opinions are 100% my own.** *POWERED BY BRANDBACKER*

Journey to 100! 18 - 22

Hey there guys and gals...it is that time again...more empties!  Here are a few more items that I have said goodbye to, maybe why I liked or did not like them   Again, all this is doing is making more room in my stash and also helping me to get to some beloved items!

Starting rt going clockwise:

Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover - A good biphase makeup remover...wish these would have been a bit cheaper to acquire.  Did the job nicely.

Pur lisse pur delicate gentle soy milk cleanser - LOVED THIS!  Creamy, gentle, removed my makeup, cleaned my face and did it well.  Had I not a plethora of other cleansers to get through, this would have been my next purchase.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather 24hr eyeshadow pot in Creamy Beige - Great as a neutral base for other shadows or my favorite way...a shadow look all on its own!  A basic beige with some slight shimmer, not enough to constitute this a shimmer shadow.  Does not last 24 hours, but it does last through a very long 12 and a half hour shift at the hospital!

Ayres hand cream in Pampas Sunshine - A super velvety had cream that soaked into skin instantly, never leaving behind a greasy or filmy feeling.  The scent of this was beyond beautiful...sprinkled with notes of lemongrass and patchouli.  Ordering this as of now!

Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid liner - Quick drying, with a slight bit of shine.  Long lasting and deep black, this is my drugstore go to...never fails.  Easy to use applicator.  And surprisingly enough, the bottle lasts a long time.

So many items to get through...but the purpose of this was to push myself to really get through this and try and pare my stash down as much as I could.  What are you guys all using up?  Tweet me, instagram, facebook, get ahold of me and let me know what you are using :)

Ring in the New Year with beautiful brows from Million Dollar Brows!!! + GIVEAWAY

*DISCLAIMER:  Item(s) sent by company for the purposes of testing/review.  I am not being financially compensated for this view.  All words and opinions are 100% my own* *powered by brandbacker*

 Welcome to 2016!  And with this new year, a better and more beautiful brow.  How you ask?  With the help of Billion Dollar Brows and two of their amazing kits...the Best Sellers Kit and the 60 seconds to Beautiful Brows!

Lets start with the Best Sellers kit!

 The BDB Best Sellers Kit contains 4 items: Universal Brow Pencil, Brow Duo Pencil, Smudge Brush and Brow Gel.

Swatches above are as follows from top to bottom:
Brow Duo - Concealer first, highlighter second
Universal Brow Pencil - One pass, Two passes

The pencils in this kit were super creamy, soft and easy to blend! This shade is universal, I have seen this work on so many skin tones.  The Brow Duo is the perfect tool...with a concealer and highlighter in one, you can customize your brows in one easy step.

Before...

Bare brow, sparse spaces, hair is thinning in certain areas

After:

Brow filled using Best Sellers Kit

This kit is pretty amazing.  It has everything you need to tailor a brow to your liking.  All the pencils contained, again, are super creamy  and blendable.  I like a more natural looking brow and I think this kit helped achieve it, but it can also go high glam with a more defined and dramatic brow!

The 60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows Kit is just that...a super condensed version of their beloved best sellers.  Contained within are a double sided, high quality brush and brow powder.  This was the easiest and fastest thing to use.  Load up your brush, fill and define your brow and done!  It was nice to see that I could go light for a natural look or add a bit more for a super dramatic brow.  The powder is finely milled that it almost feels creamy.  Never clumpy  or dry, I did not experience any fall out or stiff brow look or feel.

60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows kit used here

To learn more about...

Billion Dollar Brows and all they have to offer, go HERE.
Best Sellers Kit, go HERE.
60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows, go HERE.

Want to win your very own Billion Dollar Brows Best Sellers Kit???  *3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS WILL WIN THEIR VERY OWN BEST SELLERS!*

Good Luck Everyone!



*DISCLAIMER:  Item(s) sent by company for the purposes of testing/review.  I am not being financially compensated for this view.  All words and opinions are 100% my own* *powered by brandbacker*

MOTD: What Im currently wearing #2 - smokey greens

I have had quite the time shopping my current stash, and as always, adding new products.  There seems to be a constant going back to trusted items and then I find myself in a rut.  One of my resolutions this year was to shop the stash more and venture out into items I have that I barely use.  Because the more I use up, the more I can get, right?  Let's get to it...

#MOTD

I am still trying to adjust the surroundings to the lighting I have, but it is a VAST improvement on what I previously had...which is why you are now starting to see these posts!  The room I currently shoot in has dark wood, dark wine walls, and stained glass windows...not exactly a beacon of light. Thinking about getting a white backdrop and switch my tabletop to white to allow for even more light!

#MOTD Smokey Greens - no flash

This greenish, goldish, brownish (thats a lot of ish) smokey eye was a achieved with a few palettes from the stash that needed more love.  No lashes were used as I am actually going to cook dinner and do some laundry after posting this!  HA!  Glamorous house chores...

Products used in MOTD

Products used:

EYE:
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
theBalm Shady Lady single in All About Alex (inner 2/3 of eye)
NYX Love in Rio trio in Voodoo Love Spells (outer corner)
Prestige Total Intensity trio in Smoke and Mirrors (outer corner and ball of eye highlight)
Essence Gel Liner in Midnight in Paris
L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara in Black

FACE:
CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3in1 foundation in 845 Warm Beige (also used as concealer)
theBalm Bahama Mama Bronzer as contour
Tarte Be Mattenificent palette - blush color - Elevated

LIPS:
Jordana Modern Matte Lipstick in Matte Classy

Let me know if you guys are digging these kinds of posts and maybe, if I can get all of my ducks in a row, I can do a tutorial!

xoxo, D

Makeup by One Direction: Lip, Eye, Nails Kits! Limited Edition

*DISCLAIMER - Products sent by company for consideration and review.  I am not being monetarily compensated for my review.  All opinions are my own.* *POWERED BY BRANDBACKER*

Markwins hits it out of the park again!  Teaming up with One Direction to bring you three gorgeous kits...

One Direction Makeup Kits for Nails, Lips, and Eyes/Hair

Available now, these limited edition One Direction kits from Markwins are perfect for the upcoming holidays and party season!  One Direction now gives you the Electro Glam Mascara kit, Liquilights Glow Gloss kit and the Rock Me Nail kit.  These super bright kits can be found at your local Macy's Dilliard's, Boscov's, Stage Stores, Beauty Brands and Lord & Taylor.  You may also check these retailers websites, as well as the One Direction Facebook page HERE.

Presenting Makeup by One Direction...

Liquilights Glow Gloss

Makeup by 1D : Liquilights Glow Gloss

Liquilights Glow Gloss - swatches - direct sun/no flash

"Liguilights Glow Gloss sparkles brilliantly during the day and illuminates under UV black light after dark.  Enriched with natural oils and vitamin E to keep your lips soft and hydrated all day and all night." - markwins

Liquilights Glow Gloss comes with:  swatches from the top:
Taken - a hot pink with reflects
Kiss You - neon orange with reflects
Through the Dark - neon fuchsia with reflects

All three of the Liquilights Glow Glosses are UV reactive (they glow under black light!), come with a nicely pigmented gloss base and are packed with the most beautiful reflects glitters.

Makeup by 1D Electroglam Mascara

"Electroglam Mascara - Give your look a jolt of electric colour, with this limited edition trio of ultra-cold coloured for hair and lashes, in three heavily pigmented, buildable colors." - Markwins

Electroglam Mascara - Makeup by 1D

These duo hair/eye mascaras give you the pop of color needed to punch your nights out!  Colors above are:

top - Why don't we go there?  ( vivid blue )
middle - Does he know?  ( neon pink )
bottom - Story of my life ( neon yellow )

Electroglam Mascara in hair  - Does he know?

 Used as hair mascara, it gives you controlled highlights that can definitely be built up!

Electroglam Mascara on lashes - Why don't we go there?

Why don't we go there?  on my lashes...this is two coats of the electroglam mascara...and this is super vivid!!!

Makeup By One Direction - Rock Me Nail Varnish Kit

 "Rock Me Nail Kit, featuring neon, UV reactive nail varnish and UV reactive glitter nail toppings that add even more sizzle to your mani, for nails that light up day and night.  Sprinkle the glitter over wet polish for a subtle accent, or go for the glitz and drip your entire wet mani in mega-watt sparkle!" - markwins

Rock Me Nail Kit

Colors above from left to right:
Happily - UV iced blue
Moments - UV neon pink
Diana - UV 3D holographic

Glitter Nail Toppings are:
Kicks - UV snow cone blue glitter
Not Afraid - UV electrified pink glitter
Star - UV holo glitter

Rock Me Nail Varnish - Diana, Moments, Happily

Above, we have Diana plain, Moments with glitter accent in Not Afraid, and Happily with glitter accent in Kicks.

Remember that all of these kits are available at your local Macy's, Dilliard's, Boscov's, Stage Stores, Beauty Brands and Lord&Taylor.

NYX Butter Lipstick in Mary Janes - swatch

*Disclaimer - Item show purchased by thepassengerelement blog. All opinions are my own. I am not being compensated for my review*

I wholeheartedly wear my red lip obsession on my sleeve.  No longer hiding the tubes upon tubes of  red goodness.  In keeping true to form with this, I have purchased yet another red...because red.

NYX Butter Lipstick - Mary Janes

NYX's Butter Lipstick in Mary Janes was purchased at my local Ulta for $5.99 USD.  Mary Janes is one of 22 shades in the line.  Inside of the colored tube (which not only matches the color of the bullet, but you also get a clear window to show true to color color :) ), you get 0.16oz of buttery goodness.

ingredients

NYX Mary Janes Butter Lipstick

One thing I have to say right off...holy jesus these are moisturizing!  The word Butter in the title does attest to the formulation and wear of these lipsticks.  Butter Lipsticks have high pigmentation and wonderful slip, without being too high maintenance.  For me, Mary Janes is opaque, but with the highly moisturizing formula, feels extraordinarily light!  Extremely comfortable to wear, in my experience, I could go up to 5 hours of normal use (light drinking/eating) without having to reapply.  It also kept my lips smooth as it wore away and did stain my lips quite a bit.

NYX Mary Janes swatch - overcast/no flash

Mary Janes is a described as a true red.  On my lips, and since I like to swipe my lipstick two or three times, I find that the more I layer, the darker it gets.  You could definitely get this to look vampy if you wanted, and is totally appropriate for a fall red.

Mary Janes swatch - overcast/flash

A deep cherry shade, I love that this does not lean towards any side too much!  Let me touch again on formula...it is moisturizing and it does leave for such wonderful slip on the lips, but it did grab on to a few of my dry patches.  Though I will also state that I generally do not pre-moisturize my lips and on most days, do not have texture problems with application.

For the price, formula, wear and color selection...this is sooo on the money!


*Disclaimer - Item show purchased by thepassengerelement blog. All opinions are my own. I am not being compensated for my review*

it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector in Medium - swatch

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

it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye corrector concentrate cream

Under eye circles/darkness are something that has become more of a problem now that I am in my thirties.  Gone are the days of being able to stay up late, in front of a computer studying, etc, without having to cover and spackle my under eye area.  I have never had too much of an issue in the eye area.  Thankfully my parents never had issues there even in adulthood.  But late nights, studying, and stress have caused me to experience a slight darkness that is just horrid!

To help combat this darkness, I purchased it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector Concentrate in Medium.  I found it at my local Ulta for $29.00 USD.  Inside of the plastic, screw top pot, is 5ml/0.17fl.oz of creamy product.  Medium is one of three shades available for the corrector creams.

"Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector is your 8 hours of sleep in a jar! This creamy, highly pigmented yet lightweight peach based concealer is designed to effectively neutralize, and erase the look of eye darkness, dark circles and even age spots." - itcosmetics.com

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye

Instantly, upon first application, I noticed how incredibly creamy this is.  When I swirl my finger in the pot, it is pretty sturdy feeling, but when on the skin, it just melts.  The peach tone to this corrector allows for it to cancel out any bluish or purplish tones, which helps in erasing darkness.  The cream is lightweight and allows for easy blending in the delicate eye area.  When I first felt this upon my skin, I thought this would never cover anything.  Its creamy, feels like a veil on the skin.  But this gentle corrector packs a punch with pigment.  Easy blendability along with its pigmentation allow for fast and effective coverage of your darkness/circles!

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye - flash/indirect sunlight

For under eye coverage, I am a fan of both using a concealer lighter than my skintone as I feel it brightens.  But I also love to use one that is exactly my tone for days where I want to quickly make up my face and get out.  This product helps achieve that.

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye - direct sun/no flash

Bye Bye Under Eye plays well with other products.  In terms of blending, this melded with my foundations and other long wear concealers fantastically.  No changes in color or formula.  Now, unless it is a heavy duty, super long wearing concealer, I always set my concealer.  With Bye Bye Under Eye, I notice that if I I do not sheer it out enough on my skin, it can crease a bit.  Now, that is only when not blended well.  And this can be layered too.  When I have a bit more time for my makeup, I layer thinly and powder to set.  In this case, I never have creasing or moving of the product.  Though this has a creamy texture, in my experience this lasts an average of 6 hours on my combo/oily skin without touchups.

It helps me look alive, keeps my under eye area looking fresh and covers everything I need it to.



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

Wet n Wild ColorIcon trio in Three's A Party (LE-Summer)

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

WetnWild Three's A Party Trio - partial sunlight / no flash

I went through quite a wild goose chase for this one.  Here I have Wet n Wild's summer, limited edition trio in Three's a Party.  I found this at Walgreen's for $2.99 USD.  Inside the plastic clam-shell case, you get three shadows for a total of 0.12oz/3.5g of product.  These were available at Rite-Aid, Walgreens, etc.

Wet n Wild Three's a Party Ingredients

WnW Three's a Party - open, partial sunlight / flash

Three's a Party consists of three matte shadows.  The "browbone" color is a stark cool white.  I usually am not a fan of white shadows as they tend to be chalky, but this white is smooth and slightly creamy, which makes application easy.   The color marked "crease"  has a slight overlay of super tiny glitters, but as you continue to use the shadow it goes away.  These glitters do not show up in the color at all during application. The crease color is a nice basic cherry red.  The color marked "eyelid" is a flat, matte black.  I found that this was the creamiest of all of the shadows.  Though creamy, it is not as opaque as I would have hoped,  but with a few swipes, was able to achieve a much richer application of the black.

WnW Three's a Party swatch - partial sunlight / no flash

 These swatches were all done without a base and only 2 swipes per shadow.  Now, there may be some of you that may not like that they are not super pigmented right off the pan, but with the right base these colors JUMP!  Once set on a primer,  I found these to stay vibrant and did not crease, although your mileage may vary with the primer you use.  With these being matte, I was surprised at how easily these blended together.  Not only did I purchase this one, I got my hands on three of the other trios that will be reviewed on the blog.  I am very happy with this purchase.  It is nice to see this kind of quality from a drugstore brand.

WnW Three's a Party swatch - partial sunlight / no flash

These trios are all limited edition, but there are times when they get rereleased under different names and collections so you may be able to find them at a later time :).  Keep a watch out for Wet n Wild as they release limited edition trios and palettes consistently and they always go so fast!

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

Back To School Giveaway!

**Was out of town when I was to post this without resources.  I apologize for the inconvenience**

Its giveaway time again ladies and gents....what do I have for you this time?

Please excuse weird lighting

Here we are, that time again...Back To School!  Which is exciting since I too will be heading back to college to finish my studies.  What better way of getting you geared up for the new semester by giving away a back to school goodies bag featuring 8 awesome products!

Product close ups:

1 Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment (deluxe sample size)
2 L'Oreal Infallible 6 HR lipgloss in Rebel Red (full size)
3 Wet n Wild Mega Last lipstick in Don't Blink Pink (full size)
4 Wet n Wild Wild Shine lip lacquer in Enamored

5 Two Cosmetics shadow duo in Heartache (full size)
6 Wet n Wild ColorIcon eyeliner in Turquoise (full size)
7 Wet n Wild Wild Shine nail polish in Sparked (full size)
8 Color Club nail polish in London Calling (mini)

Follow the directions on the widget and good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Open to US residents only
giveaway run - 8/23/13 - 9/23/13
Winners will be announced on the blog, facebook, google+, twitter and tumblr.
*Disclaimer - not affiliated with any of the cosmetic brands represented*

Too Faced Exotic Color Intense eye shadow - Petals to the Metal (swatch)

Who is ready for some duochrome goodness?

Too Faced Exotic Color shadow

Here we have Too Faced Exotic Color Intense eye shadow in Petals to the Metal.  This is one of 12 of the Exotic Color range of super saturated, super soft shadows.  I purchased this at Ulta for $18.00 USD.  The lovely Petals to the Metal comes in a plastic, clamshell case that closes shut tightly.  Inside, there is 1.7g/0.06oz of duochromey awesomeness!

Too Faced Petals to the Metal Ingredients

Too Faced Petals to the Metal packaging

Petals to the Metal is a very vibrant, heavily pigmented duochrome eye shadow that is a metallic brown blue. There is also a nice green shift to this shadow, lending it an almost mermaid like color.  I do also notice that sprinkled throughout this shadow are multi glitters.

Too Faced Petals to the Metal

In this picture, the base looks brown, but what looks like an overlay may look taupish.  This was taken in natural light, no flash.

Too Faced Petals to the Metal - sunlight/no flash

In this photo, you can see slightly larger glitters that are sprinkled throughout the shadow.  For me, this was a huge negative as the glitters did not stick with the shadow.  The first few times I used this shadow as soon as I blended, there were glitters all over my cheeks.  It was only then that I could see that they are pretty sizable glitters.

Too Faced Petals to the Metal swatch - no flash/sunlight

From the swatch here, you can see the blue green shift atop of that brown base.  Now, I have other shadows similar to this and Petals to the Metal has the most brown base of those.  The more you pack on, the more the blue-green shift appears.

Too Faced Petals to the Metal swatch - no flash/sunlight

Now here you get a lovely view of the brown base which does have hints of a rusty red in it.  When I blend this on the eye, you get more of that rust color to pop.

Pros: densely pigmented, vivid, long lasting shift
Cons: large glitters that fall out

You can purchase this shadow at toofaced.com, ulta stores and online, sephora stores and online.

DISCLOSURE: Item(s) shown was purchased by thepassengerelement blog.