Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation Review

Now this is the first high end foundation I have ever tried. However, I don't think that will make a difference in how I review this product. Foundation is foundation whether its drugstore or high end should not matter. Let's start with the basics. This foundation will run you $38 from Sephora. It is available in eight different shades: Fair, Ivory, Light, Light Medium, Medium, Tan, Tan Deep, and Deep. I do like the packaging. The look is cute and goes along with Tarte's all natural theme. I also like that there are two spots in the packaging that allows you see the product inside. The most obvious helpful part if that is to see the color of the foundation, so you can tell if it will work with your skin tone or not. The second part is so you can see how much product you have left. There's a special spot on the right side of the bottle that has makers on it that you can see through so you can see how much product you have left. The consistency of this foundation was a little thick in comparison to other liquid foundations I have used. I'm sure that's due to the amazonian clay. However, it doesn't feel thick or heavy on your skin. It actually feels quite nice on your skin. As far as application goes I do think you need a dense brush to get this all over your face. Because it is so thick it takes a little effort to move this over your face. Now I don't mean you'll be working up a sweat or anything like that, but it does take some work. I personally think a sponge would work best with applying this foundation. Now last but not least; coverage, color, and wear. I think the coverage of this foundation was medium to full coverage. You can certainly build this foundation up to get a full coverage look if that's what you desire. However, I don't feel its a straight out-of-the-tube full-on full cover foundation. Which personally I like. I don't always want or need a full coverage look. I like that you can built it up and kind of customize your look a bit. As far as color goes I think this the best foundation I have ever had that matches my skin tone flawlessly. I bought the Ivory color because I know I'm in that shade range and I was afraid that the color Fair would have been too yellow for me. I was right and I couldn't be happier with the color. Now on to wear. I have oily skin so foundations tend to break down on me relatively fast. Nevertheless, I didn't have that problem with this foundation. it stayed in place and wore beautifully. I did get a little oily on my forehead, but it wasn't anything outrageous or bad. It was a normal amount of oil, my forehead was no oil slick. I honestly think the only reason I noticed it is because I have oily skin. Other than that I don't think I would have paid it any attention. All in all I give this 5 our 5 stars rating. I would definitely buy this again and recommend it to all my friends (and trust me I have!). I hope this review was helpful if you were on the fence about buying this product. Be Fearless. Be Beautiful. Be You.

D.I.Y. Cucumber Mask

I love doing things like masks and treatments. It gives me a moment to treat myself and it makes my skin feel better. I use a clay mask one a week to help cleanse my skin cause oily skin is prone to clogged pores and such. This cucumber mask is a great clarifying mask with some healing properties. To make this mask you will need:

* 1 Tablespoon Non-fat Dry Milk

* 1 Egg White 

* 1/2 Peeled Cucumber

* 1 Teaspoon Plain Yogurt

* 1 Teaspoon Mint

Put it all in a blender and blend it till it's smooth. You can either apply this with your hands or if you want to minimize the mess you can apply it with a foundation brush (the $1 from E.L.F. would work just fine). Put a slice of cucumber on each eye and relax for 20 minuets then wash off. I personally like to masks before I take a shower. I find they come off easier in the warm water and that way it's not a big deal if you get any in your hair. Now go treat your skin and relax! 

D.I.Y. Lemon Sugar Scrub

One of my favorite ways to keep my skin soft is to use a good body scrub, and in this economy scrubs can be kind of expensive. What is a better way to beat this by making your own? The ingredients are very simple and very easy to get a hold of. To make this scrub you will need:

*1/2 Cup of Sugar (You could also use salt if you so desired)
*1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is the best because it's the least processed)
*2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice

Just mix everything together in a bowl. You want a paste consistency. Rub all over the desired area for two or three minuets then rinse. I seriously recommend following with a really cream body lotion or body butter. That will lock in moisture and keep your skin softer longer. You could also use other things besides lemon juice like coconut oil. I hope you enjoy!

Bare Minerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer Review

I don't know where my latest obsession with primers came from but I am obsessed. I recently bought a few things from Sephora and with that purchase I was able to get a few samples as you know. If you have never ordered online from Sephora before when you check out there is a selection of samples that you can choose from and you can pick up to three. Among those sample was the Bare Minerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer. I have never used any products by Bare Minerals. I'm sure that part of the reason is because I don't buy into all that "natural" makeup crap. I personally don't care if it's natural or not as long as it's not going to kill me. However, I think a good primer is something everyone should have no matter their budget or personal preference. Let's face it, your make up doesn't look right without a primer. Half way through the day it's running down your face and you just look like a hot train wreck. No one wants that. Invest in a primer, they make your makeup work for you. I tried this last night at work, which I think is the ultimate test. I am a nursing assistant and I work in a nursing home. This is a very hard job. You are one person responsible for anywhere from 10-13 people and you have to feed them, bathe them, dress them for bed, and put them in bed all in an 8 hour shift. As you can imagine you work up quite a sweat, so if I really want to test the limits of a makeup product I wear it to work. This passed with flying colors. I had no creasing what so ever, the color showed up brilliantly, and it was easy to blend into my lids. If you're one of those "all natural" girls and you're looking for and eyelid primer I would seriously recommend this.

D.I.Y. Coconut Oil Moisturizer

Now that the colder months are here I know that dry skin is a major concern. I know myself personally this year is suffering from some dry skin on my chin and on my cheek bones. What I have here today is a great D.I.Y. nightly moisturizer using coconut oil and a few drops of vitamin E oil. All you do is take equal parts coconut oil and vitamin E oil (just a few drops each) and mix them together. I wouldn't put this on in the morning just because this is a very oily moisturizer and I don't think any makeup that you would apply on top of it would last very long, even with primers. However, if you suffer seasonal dry skin or even year round dry skin this would be a great nightly treatment. Both coconut oil and vitamin E oil are very hydrating and healthy for your skin. You could even use this for patches of dry skin, I have those in the warmer months. I will say that you want to use extra virgin coconut oil because that means it is processed the least and will have the most bang for your buck. Coconut oil and vitamin E oil are very easy to come by. You should be able to find them in your local health food store. Or if you're like me and you live south of nowhere there are several places online that you can order from. I hope this was helpful and enjoy!

Pumpkin Facial

If you're on of those girls who likes to use natural products or D.Y.I. beauty tricks then this one is for you! I really like this one because it's that time of the year for pumpkins and this mask uses pumpkin seeds. All you need to do is crush about a handful seeds and mix them with about a teaspoon of olive oil. The reason this is such a good facial is because pumpkin seeds are packed with vitamin E. Vitamin E is extremely good for your skin, it encourages the formation of collagen and free radicals, restoring the health of you skin. I hope you enjoy!