Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12 hr perfecting primer

 

 

After running out of my Benefit Porefessional primer, I was inclined to purchase another (although that's not my favorite primer, it seems to ball up or dry me out a bit, but still gets the job done), or return to my ever faithful Smashbox Photofinish. But I had heard a good amount of things about Tarte's Clean Slate Poreless 12-hour Perfecting Primer and I can't say no to trying out a new product. And I must say, after using this for about a week now, my first impression is.. I LOVE IT. 

    The formula only requires a small amount, a bit larger than pea-sized to cover my whole face. It is a very thick silicone formula, but doesn't wear heavy on the skin. When I put it on it feels so smooth, my skin feels soft like pearls. Around my t-zone and on my cheeks next to my nose i have noticeably larger pores, especially when I wear any product with sparkle or shimmer in it. This primer gives me a soft-focus, almost blurred out effect to my skin, and really fills my pores out so they're less noticeable. So far, I have not broken out from using this, although some reviews I have read say that they broke out, perhaps from the Rosemary which can cause some irritation to sensitive skin. I do have combination skin, leaning more to the dry side, and this primer does NOT add to that dryness, so anyone with super oily skin, be aware it does seem quite hydrating or moist. It does have a mattefying effect, so with your foundation and setting powder I'm confident this would work for most skin types.

   It smells nice, not a strong or noticeable scent, and creates a really smooth base for me to apply my foundation with. (Currently I'm using CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation as my go-to, thanks to Eleventh Gorgeous' recommendation). I can't say enough about the good stuff inside of this tube as well! I have really been focusing on my own personal well being and health, so taking care of my skin is important to me, and this primer is choc-full of awesome ingredients. The site boasts Tarte's Clean Slate Primer is 

"Powered By: Avocado oil: pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding the pit, this natural oil is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E and protein and has known skin soothing properties."

I mean how great does that sound? It also is based with natural plant and fruit extracts, which I'd much rather be slathering all over my skin than processed chemical jargon. I am happy I picked this up at my last Sephora stop and it's worth the $30. What primers are you guys loving right now? 

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MAC Betty Bright (Archie's Girls)

So of course I had to go and check my local MAC store just out of curiosity to see what they had left from the Archie's Girls collection since it sold out so quickly online. I really was a bit sad I didn't get this lipstick with my online order, so when I saw they still had it in stock I jumped at the chance to make it mine. I was returning 6 MAC empties today for a free lipstick (post to come) so I bought Betty Bright as it's LE, and received Honeylove for free! 

Betty Bright is a vibrant coral/peach color with a satin finish. It glides on so smooth and feels nice on my lips. This is the type of color I'm leaning towards for spring, especially since I am going to florida and Disney World in March, I can't stop planning my spring vacation outfits and makeup! I have been really loving wearing bright pink shades lately and this is a unique shade I don't have yet. It is very opaque and covered my lips in one coat, but pressing the lips or rubbing them together a lot could lead to spottiness with this formula. It didn't dry my lips out, but rather felt quite smooth.

Swatch, no flash.

One coat, no flash.

 

One coat, with flash.

Nails of the Day as of recently...

So this past month has been a fun month for my nails! Here are some of my favorite looks I have gotten done or done myself. I always post updated photos of my nails of the moment on my instagam: @angstyprincess, so follow me there! From top left clockwise:
» Orly First Kiss (pale peachy/pink) with accent finger in Orly Gumdrop (seafoam/Tiffany blue)
» OPI polish I can't recall the name, got them done at the salon, I'm sorry!
» Butter London Queen Vic
» Revlon Black Lingerie with OPI The "It" Color and Sinful Color's Snow Me White
» Essie Off the Shoulder
» Essie Matte About You topcoat (would anyone like a review of this?)

MAC Daddy's Little Girl and Boyfriend Stealer (Archie's Girls)

 

 At last! The long awaited limited edition collection has arrived at our doorsteps, for those of us beauty freaks who aren't VIP celebrity guru insiders just quite yet. The Archie's Girls collection just in time for Valentine's Day. Limited edition collections by MAC are something quite coveted by all beauty bloggers, but I try not to go too crazy unless I'm really wild about the actual PRODUCT not just the amazing cute wonderful packaging. In this particular case, both sides of it won, but I still remained responsible, purchasing only two lipsticks and one pearlmatte face powder (review to come). I will say though I might make a little trip to the MAC counter and pick up one more lippy from the Betty collection because they're just too good.

   

 Product pictures from the site-

left: Boyfriend Stealer (creamsheen) 

right: Daddy's Little Girl (satin)

  

One coat of Boyfriend Stealer, no flash.

 Swatch, no flash.

 Swatch, with flash.

So first up is Boyfriend Stealer, a deep wine/plum color with a sheer glossy finish. This really reminds me of a stain more than a regular lipstick. One quick coat of it doesn't really do the trick, it applies uneven as you can see, and sort of settles into the nooks and crannys. Layering this color and blotting it really has a nice pay off for a colour stain, and let me tell you, IT STAINS. This is not a color you will have to worry about fading off of your skin quickly. Perhaps a clear coat of gloss would look nice over the blotted color to even this vampy shade out if you aren't into the stained lip look. All in all, extremely wearable if you're willing to deal with application processes. A dupe for this would be Revlon's Va Va Violet.

 

One coat of Daddy's Little Girl, no flash.

 

 Swatch of Daddy's Little Girl, no flash.

Now THIS is a lipstick to go absolutely crazy over. It's PERFECT. I don't know how else to describe it. Daddy's Little Girl is a blue toned fuchsia/pink with a satin finish. It goes on so smooth and the color payoff is incredible. This is such a bright and happy color, perfect for day or night use, I can see myself creating a lot of looks paired with this lipstick. It also seems to be fairly long lasting, not as long as Boyfriend Stealer, but lasted me through a meal with just a light touch-up. I feel like this is a close match for Candy Yum Yum, and I will try and find dupes.

Both colors swatched once over next to each other.