Current Nails - Across The Universe + Naughty Nautical

My current nails featuring Debra Lippmann Across The Universe and Essie Naughty Nautical.

Debra Lippmann Across The Universe is a gorgeous multicolored glitter in a navy jelly base. It is a lovely color and I am excited to wear this in fall as a vampy nail look.

Essie Naughty Nautical is similar to Essie Turquoise and Caicos but with a slight silver shimmer and a tad deeper in color. This applied almost opaque in one coat but I used too to make sure there were no streaks.   

Here is the step-by-step:

1. Apply a base: I chose Butter London Nail Foundation.

 

2. Apply 2 coats of Essie Naughty Nautical.

 

3. Apply 2-4 coats of Debra Lippmann Across The Universe two accent finger. 

(I applied 4 to get the color more opaque.)

  4. Apply a top coat: I chose Butter London Hardware

5. Clean up any mistakes and you're done!

June Favorites 2013

Uh, yeah, so I sort of let this one slide past me. Shame on me for posting this a week late. Better late than never... Yes? Maybe? Oh well.

This month was all about EASY for me. Easy make up that I didn't have to think about. I suppose it didn't help that it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for like half the month and I didn't really feel bothered to use lots of make up. The other benefit of lazy rut like make up is that it really gives you the opportunity to make a massive dent in a product, which of course, I am all for on Project 100 Pan. Besides, it sometimes feels impossible to make any progress with make up products, especially when haircare and skincare seem to zoom right past in terms of speed of use.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow, Micheal Kors Very Hollywood Eau De Parfum

 

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow in Slate. 

This is described this as a "Shimmering Silver" Slate is definitely more of a slightly warm taupe brown with a silverish shimmer. I have been wearing this cream eyeshadow all over the lid with just the inner corner left for a highlight. This is one of those shadows that looks multidimensional, like you have a crease color, definition in the outer "V" and a lighter highlighter on the lid. I Purchased at Ulta on a whim and it has been one of my favorite lazy go to items since. 

I use this cream eyeshadow over Too Faced Shadow Insurance and I top it off with a bit of translucent powder to keep it in place. I have normal lids and I do not notice any creasing until the 12 hour mark, which I find awesome for a cream. I would definitely purchase this cream shadow again, and apart from Soft Ocher from MAC, this is my most used cream shadow.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow in Slate. Heavy swatch left, blended right.

 Micheal Kors Very Hollywood Eau De Parfum. 

Sadly this beautiful fragrance has been discontinued. :( Why must beautiful things die? Anyway, this is described by Amazon to contain notes of "mandarin, iced bergamot, wet jasmine, ylang-ylang, raspberry, gardenia, orris, creamy amber, soft white moss, and vetiver."  I pretty much love any fragrance that contains bergamot and gardenia. Sadly for me, my bottle of this gorgeousness is on it's last leg having only 1/5 of the 1.0 oz bottle remaining. :(  

Though I will not be repurchasing a bottle before this is gone forever, I have certainly enjoyed wearing this scent for pretty much 100% of June. I declare this THE SCENT OF JUNE... well for me anyway. If you haven't, I would recommend giving this a sniff if you happen upon it, though, with it being discontinued and all, you probably won't have the chance if you haven't already smelled it.

Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Loreal True Match Lumi Foundation

I am a bit pale, if you haven't noticed from my swatches... but I purchased this in W1-2 Porcelain/Light Ivory and have found it to be a decent match to my skin. This foundation is sheer and makes skin appear semi-luminous. The coverage is sheer, which allows it to better match my complexion, but I feel that in a lazy summer month where I can't be bothered with makeup, this is easy to slap on and not worry about it feeling heavy or cakey. This provides just a enough coverage to even out skin tone, and adds a healthy glow to the skin. I have dry skin and I have found that if I have any really dry flakey patches that this can accentuate those patches and make them look worse, but I pretty much have that problem with ALL foundations, including tinted moisturizers. Two bonuses about this foundation, 1. it comes with a pump. Pumps are awesome, they keep things nice and neat when putting on foundation. 2. Since it is a thin and sheer product, you do not need much to cover your face, so the product will last you longer. Correction: It will last me longer, if you are one to put on a lot of foundation, this may not last longer for you. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya  

I bought this from Target because I had heard a few people raving about it on YouTube, I can honestly say, they did not disappoint. This is sheer enough for everyday wear and the color is not too pink and not to orange, making for a gorgeous sheer coral. What I love about some of the Revlon Lip Butters, this one included, is that they wear evenly through out the day and they are for the most part hydrating. I also just really love the way that they feel on the lips, they are not heavy and they are not gloopy, two things I really look for in a lip product. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

MAC Cremeblend Blush in Something Special, MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline

Mac Cremeblend Blush in Something Special

I remember being super excited when I bought this blush. It is a pretty light coral that is a sheer build-able blush that is super flattering on light skin. I would imagine that this blush would also look gorgeous on medium skin, but not as noticeable. Sometimes I will use this as a base for a powder blush, but lately I can't be bothered with more steps. I love how easy this is to blend and just the fresh pop of "I've just gone running, but really haven't" glow. I definitely recommend giving this a swatch next time you find yourself at a MAC Coutner/Store.

MAC Cremeblend Blush in Something Special. Heavy watch left, blended right.

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline 

Yeah, I totally bought this because Elle Fowler (allthatgliter21) mentioned as, like, the best black eyeliner EVER. Well, it is pretty good, I like Urban Decay 24/7 liners a heck of a lot better, but this one is pretty good and super black. I picked this up while it was still Limited Edition, but it is in the permanent collection now, so pick it up if you are looking for a good black eyeliner that stays on all day and is good for blending.

MAC Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Feline

I hope you enjoyed my late June Favorites and thank you so much for reading. I wish you a happy and hopefully cooler July, though I doubt July will be so kind. ;)

Haul #1 - Project Pan

ITS HAUL TIME!!! Yes! A haul on Project Pan, I like to cheat, what can I say? I actually knew there would be no way for me to accomplish a Project Pan without some flexibility so I designed my Project 100 Pan (Yes! You read that right! 100!) to allow for some cheating to make the task feel less daunting. Here are my picks:

1. No7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask for Dry/Very Dry Skin

I picked this scrumptious sounding mask up at my local Target for $16.14 (though a Google search just revealed this bad boy for 14.44 on sale from ULTA.) Kind of a lot for a drugstore mask, but it does sound heavenly. Although I haven't tried this on my face yet, I did try it on my hand. The swirls turn into a strange liquid that when applied makes skin appear wet. I left it on my hand for 7 minutes and my had did feel very smooth and hydrated after I wiped the product away. I will update you all on this product once I have tried it out a few times.

2. Revlon Lipstick in Lovers Coral

I bought this lipstick after seeing it talked about a few times on YouTube and the color and formula description sounding like something I needed in my life. The glossy and sheer formulation make this color super wearable and easier to apply with out a mirror. I love coral lipsticks because red is too dramatic on my pale skin, however, it is not all lollipops and puppies with Lovers Coral. This lipstick is not moisturizing and it wears off quickly due to its sheer nature, which kind of stinks. Even though I have my complaints, I am actually pretty happy to have picked this one up. I scooped this baby up at Target for $5.99. Please enjoy the swatches below! 

3. Loreal Revitalift Miracle Blur Skin Smoother with SPF 30

The first time I tried this product was in a sample that came in a magazine. The sample yielded 4 uses and I was instantly impressed. I have very dry dehydrated skin with cystic acne and my weird skin definitely needs some major smoothing. A pea sized amount is  enough to cover my face and neck and the texture somewhere between a balm and a silicone primer. What I love the most about it is that I get my SPF in my routine without a greasy sunscreen! I am not sure how this product would fair on oily skin, but I enjoy that it does not disturb my carefully layered moisture routine underneath and it acts as the perfect barrier from keeping my dehydrated skin from sucking my foundation into dry flaky patches. I picked this up at Target for $19.99. 

Thanks for reading!

Empties Update #1 - Project Pan

Here is my most recent empties. I stated in my last post that I had only used of 61/100 to date, but I had a few products end in the last few days, so I thought I would share them with you. Sadly, I only had one makeup empty, *sigh* skincare is so much easier to use up. If you haven't already read my previous post on my Project 100 Pan, please do!

61. Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Shampoo Deluxe Sample. 

I got this deluxe sample from Sephora in a 500 point perk. I didn't have high expectations when I saw this little glass bottle with my other goodies, but after 6 uses, I have fallen in love. The first time I used it, I immediately noticed a difference in my hair, it was like my medium dry hair had turned into silky manageable strands! This shampoo can be purchased at Sephora for $19.00. I would definitely purchase the full size of this shampoo. 

62. Mario Badescu Glycolic Skin Renewal Complex.

I purchased this from Ulta a few months ago when I ran out of MB Protein Night Cream, which I loved, but Ulta was out of stock. Although this did moisturize my skin and I feel that it did make my skin a bit more glowy, I would not recommend this night cream to anyone with dry skin. Unfortunately I would not repurchase this cream. This can be purchased from Mario Badescu for $35.00.

63. Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer in #5 Blue.  

This foundation primer claims to add radiance and reduce minor skin imperfections on fair skin. I have porcelain skin, and thought that this sounded like a brilliant product to make my skin not look so lifeless. Although this was a nice primer, I feel that it did what every other primer did and I did not notice any extra radiance in my complexion. I would not repurchase this product, though you can pick it up from Sephora for $34.00.

64. Boscia Clear Complexion Tonic Value Kit Sized. 

I purchased this on a mission to end my cystic acne, a failed venture, but one none the less. I think this is an OK toner, but nothing special. I personally like either moisturizing toners or exfoliating toners (Thanks Caroline! I wonder what your eyebrow would think of this toner.) I would not repurchase this product, there are so many better toners out there that do a better job with acne that are more cost effective. Full sized product can be purchased at Sephora for $24.00.
*Note: I like the bottle, I have since re-purposed it. The original liquid was green.

65. Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion. 

This is the ONLY product I have found/tried to date that actually is effective against cystic acne. This significantly reduces the size and stay of my cysts. I apply this product daily, even though the directions suggest using this every other day. I find that this product does not dry out my dehydrated skin, so for me this product is a necessity. I would definitely repurchase this product and I am most definitely going to cheat and buy this product before I should. ;) To buy: Mario Badescu for $17.00 (Definitely worth the price, the product lasted me for ages.)

66. Nelsons Acne Gel for Pimples and Blemishes.

I bought this product from Whole Foods a while ago (on another cystic acne mission of course) and I used about half of it. I then tossed it aside and forgot about it for 6 months. When it resurfaced, I thought I would give it another go since it does not expire until December 2013. This has increased the efficiency of my beloved Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion. I apply this gel, which has healing and soothing homeopathic ingredients, on top of the Buffer Lotion. This decreases the redness and painfulness of my cystic acne and it deals with the little white heads that I occasionally have. Luckily I have a back up of this bad boy, because I would be hurting without it. (Sadly it hurts literally, cystic acne is a beast.) I would repurchase this again and again, you can too from Amazon for $7-8. 

I hope you found these mini reviews of my most recent product empties and if you are on Project Pan, I hope things are going swell. :)

Project Pan

I have embarked on Project 100 Pan. Some of you might already be familiar with Project 10 Pan, but for those of you who are not, it is a challenge that was introduced by YouTuber Lollipop26. The concept of Project 10 Pan is that you finish 10 beauty products up completely before you can make any beauty purchases. For everyone P10P is different, some people will count deluxe sample sizes in their challenge, some will be very strict with what a "product" means. All in all, this challenge is meant to force beauty junkies to use what they have instead of looking for greener pastures. I have tried P10P a few times and like many beauty obsessed, I have used up my 10 products and have been so eager to purchase new products at the conclusion of my P10P that I have ended up purchasing 15+ products to "compensate" from my lack of spending. Am I crazy? Maybe a little. Was the end of P10P spending frenzy fun? HELL YES!

BUY ALL THE THINGS! :)

So you may be wondering, if I am only going to go out and buy more products then I used up, why am I bothering to do Project 100 Pan? I must be really crazy. Actually, Project 100 Pan has been really eyeopening and I finally feel free from impulse buying and frenzied shopping. Besides, I have way more products then the average girl can reasonably use before they go bad, so this needs to happen.

My personal rules for Project 100 Pan:

• Full size products and deluxe samples are eligible for P100P. Some people do not like using deluxe samples as part of a Project Pan, but lets be realistic, using up products makes you feel good, so using up smaller products faster will make it not feel like it is dragging on for eternity.

• Segment this challenge in smaller chunks to keep it from getting boring as hell. I personally do 20 products at a time.

• When 20 products are complete, allow yourself to purchase 3 beauty items.YAY! CHEATING!

• Use up stuff you love; not torture yourself by using shitty products that you hate. Before I started P100P I gave away products that were still good to a friend that I didn't like or that I knew I wouldn't use and then I threw away all of the products that had expired.

• Shop your stash. You do not have to use one set of products until they are gone. Switching out products that you use daily will make this challenge seem more like you are still obtaining new products and less difficult.

• Buy Limited Edition stuff occasionally. If I see a Limited Edition product that I really truly will use, then I go ahead and break P100P to purchase. 

• Use up products that you love, but are near death. It really isn't the end of the world if you use it up, except if it is super special LE stuff. ;) You can always buy more when you finish a segment of P100P, and if you don't use it for one of your 3 items, then you must not have truly loved it.

These flexible rules have made it easier for me to stick to my Project 100 Pan. Because I am taking it in smaller chunks it is more manageable and does not feel like I am limiting myself. In the end, I will get rid of 100 products and only gain 15, thus yielding 85 less products than I started with! 

I MUST WAIT TO BUY THE THINGS... :(

After that lengthy explanation, here is my progress:

I have just started round 4 of P100P! So currently I have used up 61 products since October 2012. Yeah, that number seems like a lot more than it felt like while I was using them. Next two posts will be my most recently used up products and what I bought in my end of round 3 haul. Exciting stuff people, exciting stuff.

Welcome!

I am never quite sure what to write in the first post of a new blog. It always seems like the chance of someone reading the first post is so small that there is no point to writing one. The only problem is if a first post is never written, then all of the following posts will never be written, so I guess I must trudge through this one. ;)  Every time I start a blog the hardest thing is naming it, and I suppose the second hardest is getting through the first post. I named this blog Blushees because it sounds incredibly cute to give someone the "blushees". I don't know, maybe that is too weird, oh well. (The name Blushees was generated by wordoid.com)

I have started a beauty blog before, but abandoned it when my schedule was too busy and I was trying to make a blog that was not me. I think the 'me' part of the blog is what is most important, I do not enjoy writing content that is too mechanical and that does not allow me to be myself. I once again have decided to try a beauty blog. The key difference between this blog and the one I started a few years ago is that this content will be about my journey through the beauty world, my mission to find my perfect skincare routine, fix my skin problems, and use up the massive amounts of products that I have accumulated since I started watching beauty Youtubers such as Elle Fowler, Michele1218, Pixiwoo, and The Current Custom in 2008. I have since evolved from my beginnings of watching makeup videos as they were going out of style. 

I believe I am rather obsessed with beauty products and through the years I have become embarrassed by my hoard of products and the amount of money I have carelessly thrown down in the process.I believe makeup and beauty are a wonderful hobby and awesome for those who want to utilize their love of makeup for a job. I know I am not the only person in this boat, I imagine that there are thousands of girls and women that have fallen into the same trap as me. Can we really be to blame? Because I have started my journey of finding what products work for me and using the products that I have purchased rather than buying everything that any beauty guru recommends or features, I decided to start Blushees. I will get into how much is in  my "makeup collection" at a later date, but to be fair, its A LOT. I digress. Welcome all who want to follow me on this journey and maybe join me!