Tanning bed in a tube

Too Faced Tanning Bed in a Tube (face) - $21.50 at Sephora or Nordstrom

Ever since my late twenties, I've noticed that too much sun exposure to the face is baaad. I've that noticed freckles have started appearing on my cheeks. To call them freckles is really too kind, they're really sun spots, aka age spots. Yuck! Since then, I've always been slathering sun screen on my face and allowing my body to bathe in the sun. However, who wants to have a tanned body and a pale face? My friend Kayla recommended the Too Faced instant bronzer as her favorite. I tried it out and so far, I like! It smells sweet and yummy, no funny self tanner oder. It gives you a subtle glow. I put it on over my moisturizer and under my mineral foundation powder. I finished it off with blush then a little powder bronzer over the cheeks. Viola! Sunless and safe tanning for the face. This will be a must over the next few months while I work on the tan on my body but keep shielding my face out of the sun.

Delayed Gratification

Given the current economic conditions, I'm trying to stay on a budget and not just buy whatever that catches my fancy. Since I blew my budget on my last trip to Vancouver, now I'm making a wish list of stuff I want in the next little while or try to find cheaper alternatives.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - $42 at Nordstrom.com. While I was in Vancouver, my friend who works at Laura Mercier give me a sample of their tinted moisturizer. I tried it out a couple of times last week and really liked it! The consistency is between a light lotion and liquid foundation and it dries into a light matte finish. I then put on my usual mineral powder foundation over it. I liked the additional coverage from the tinted lotion without the caky feeling of wearing foundation. The SPF 20 is also a bonus. This was a beauty pick in the April In Style magazine as well. The price tag is a bit high so I'm holding off for now.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Perfume - $55 at Nordstrom. I've been looking for a signature scent forever. I'm very sensitive to perfumes so I find that only certain ones will not cause me to sneeze. I sprayed a few spritz of this at the store and I really liked the feminine floral and fresh citrus combination. However, before I drop $55 on an ounce of this stuff I think I will ask for a sample next time I'm at Nordstrom's and try it out at home. The last perfume I bought was Sugar by Fresh. I liked it while I tried it at the store but when I started wearing it I had to spray it on my jeans so that it wouldn't make me sneeze. I'm pretty unhappy that I spent $75 on that stuff.

Laura Mercier Eye Basics

I've on the search for a long lasting, waterproof, smudge-proof eyeliner for what seems like years now. I've been liking the Makeup Forever waterproof eyeliner but it still smudges by the end of a night out despite being waterproof. Then my friend Catherine told me something that sounded very wise to me: just because the eyeliner is waterproof doesn't mean it's oil proof. And since you skin produces natural oils the make up still smudges after a while. She told me the solution to this problem is eye makeup primer. Brilliant! My friend Erica who is a makeup artist at Laura Mercier swears that their primer is the best. I've been testing it all week with 3 different liners and here's the low down.

With the Smash Box cream eyeliner. The liner is not waterproof so the primer didn't help much at all. Then I tried it with Lancome Artliner liquid eyeliner, which is a water-resistant liner. My eyes were watery that day because of bad allergies so it was a good test. My liner ran a bit but it didn't smudge on my bottom lid so I didn't have racoon eyes! The best results came from using the primer with my Makeup Forever liner. It only smudged a tiny bit after a whole work day! I was so pleasantly surprised. I think I found the perfect combination. Eye primer + waterproofliner = perfection. Yes!

Smashbox Try Me Set

Smashbox Try Me Set - $25 sephora.com

I've been on a mission to find the perfect waterproof eyeliner. I've tried a couple of liquid liners so far and they're OK but I have two problems: they're hard to put on and they smudge. I read good reviews on the Smashbox cream liner so I decided to give it a try. I found this sample set on Sephora and I liked that it came with brushes. Here's the break down on what's in the set:

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

This foundation primer leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and poreless. I don't wear liquid foundation so I can't tell if this primer helps foundation stay on. I've tried this with my powder mineral foundation and I haven't noticed a huge difference.

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Palette & Cream Eyeliner Brush #9

I thought this whole try me kit was worth the $25 for the mini version of the eyeliner palette and the eyeliner brush. The cream liner with the brush is much easier to apply than liquid eyeliners. The kit even comes with a DVD explaining how to use it but I was still a little confused about how much of the liner to use. I found that the cream liner finishes more like an eye shadow. It's a subtle way to add emphasis to your lash lines but it does wear off quickly. Since I was looking for a long lasting waterproof liner, I wasn't thrilled with the results. Now I'm using the liner mostly during the day when I feel like putting the extra effort getting ready for work. I'm hoping to use the liner brush with other cream liners I might try later.

Smashbox Brow Tech & Angle brow brush

The mini palette also has 4 brow tech colors. The eyeliner brush in the try me kit has the angle brow brush on the other end. Brow tech comes with 4 different colors to match your hair color and a wax to finish off. I really loved the angle brow brush for applying the brow color. I didn't really need the wax because my brows are fairly sparse but the wax hold in the color nicely as well. I like it!

Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener

I thought this brightener was a concealer. After reading the reviews on Sephora it turns out this is meant to be used over your concealer to brighten your under eye circles. I do have dark circles and I didn't find a lot of help with this brightener. I also use a mineral powder concealer, rather than a creamy concealer so I wasn't sure whether the liquid brightener would wash away my concealer. I find the brightener just so, so and probably not worth the extra step in your regular make up routine.

Lip Enhancing Gloss in Crystal

I haven't tried this gloss because it's clear and colorless and is meant to be worn over lipstick. *yawn*