Best Products of the Week | August 17th through August 23rd
Happy Saturday! I always enjoy seeing what makes up the week’s top ten highest-reviewed products, so I hope you find it somewhat interesting as well! 🙂
What was your week in review like?
- Your skin tone/coloring:
- Favorite look from the week:
- Your most used product this week:
- Any beauty discoveries (new or old):
Fyrinnae Queen Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a vibrant, medium-dark purple with subtle, cool undertones and a pearly sheen. The eyeshadow...
Fyrinnae Queen Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a vibrant, medium-dark purple with subtle, cool undertones and a pearly sheen. The eyeshadow...
Fyrinnae Tardigrade Arcane Magic Pressed Eyeshadow ($8.50 for 0.07 oz.) is a deep gold with warm, olive undertones and a metallic finish. The...
Fyrinnae Tardigrade Arcane Magic Pressed Eyeshadow ($8.50 for 0.07 oz.) is a deep gold with warm, olive undertones and a metallic finish. The...
MAC Coffee and Cigs Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a soft, muted plum-brown with warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had nearly opaque...
MAC Coffee and Cigs Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a soft, muted plum-brown with warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had nearly opaque...
MAC Maison Rouge Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a deep, pinky-red with strong, cool undertones and a lightly glossy, cream finish. It had...
MAC Maison Rouge Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a deep, pinky-red with strong, cool undertones and a lightly glossy, cream finish. It had...
MAC Joie de Vivre Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a rich, medium-dark berry with subtle, cool undertones and a cream finish. The lipstick...
MAC Joie de Vivre Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a rich, medium-dark berry with subtle, cool undertones and a cream finish. The lipstick...
Fyrinnae Reindeer Fur Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a light-medium taupe with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It was...
Fyrinnae Reindeer Fur Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a light-medium taupe with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It was...
MAC Killing Me Softly Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a brighter, medium plum with subtle, cool undertones and a natural sheen. It was...
MAC Killing Me Softly Love Me Lipstick ($19.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a brighter, medium plum with subtle, cool undertones and a natural sheen. It was...
Fyrinnae Purride Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a bright, medium blue with cool undertones and a metallic finish. It was intensely...
Fyrinnae Purride Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a bright, medium blue with cool undertones and a metallic finish. It was intensely...
Marc Jacobs Beauty Star Dust See-quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow ($28.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a bright, medium orange with strong, warm undertones and...
Marc Jacobs Beauty Star Dust See-quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow ($28.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a bright, medium orange with strong, warm undertones and...
Fyrinnae Symphonic Exquisites Pressed Eyeshadow ($14.50 for 0.07 oz.) has a warmer, plummy purple that shifts to slightly less warm-toned purple to...
Fyrinnae Symphonic Exquisites Pressed Eyeshadow ($14.50 for 0.07 oz.) has a warmer, plummy purple that shifts to slightly less warm-toned purple to...
Your skin tone/coloring: above with freckles, green/gray/blue eyes, warm brown hair.
Favorite look from the week: I did a lighter look using ND Safari palette orangy shades, and a little eyeshadow sample I got from my most recent Fyrinnae order called Snowlight. I had been doing so many super colorful more deep looks lately, that seemed like a good alternative. I paired it with warm blush and my CT Hot Lips 2 in Glowing Jen.
Your most used product this week: All my staple products.
Any beauty discoveries… None to speak of!
Your skin tone/coloring: By my name! (Blue-green eyes)
Favorite look from the week: Everything about yesterday’s look made me feel very good! Used a sample of Fenty’s new hydrating foundation in a shade picked for me by an SA: 270. Super surprised at how perfect it looked on my mug! It says “cool medium to tan”, but it’s actually a true honey darker tone of beige.
Eyes: Jackie Jackie Jackie! Ginger transition and lower lashline, Credit crease and outer lower lashline, Dwollahs inner third of mobile lid, Sponsered on outer 2/3 of lid and along lower lashline, Trust Issues inner corner, UD Stash 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil lower lashline, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline for upper wing, along with my usual tightline pencil, mascara.
Cheeks: UD Jawbone, Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette 002 Bronze as blush, Peach as highlighter.
Lips: Nyx Earthtone Slim Lip Pencil, PMG Luxetrance Lipstick in She’s Heaven, a touch of Bite Dirty Chai French Press lipgloss.
Your most used product this week: Until yesterday, mixing Lancome Teint Idole 360 with MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation in NC41 together for a very perfect match and longwearing foundation. Basically, because I haven’t been outside as much this summer due to our unusually hot daily highs, I haven’t darkened up at all. Also, I’m now ? addicted to ND Nude, Sunrise and Lila on more days than not!
Any beauty discoveries (new or old): That I can now officially wear a hydrating foundation and not look ridiculously greasy and grimey? I really love how Fenty Hydrating Foundation feels on my skin, and that I don’t need to mix shades to get something that matches my skin very seamlessly and beautifully. I’m not sure about the “cool” designation, though. It’s a honey beige, nothing pink or red about this shade.
Your skin tone/coloring: fair, cool
Favorite look from the week: Marc Jacobs Brav-O all over mobile lid; Sephora Cashmere Coat in crease, NARS Mulholland to line upper and lower lashes, Becca Foxglove blush, Smashbox Red Rage lipstick, Too Faced Peach Blur powder
Your most used product this week: Too Faced Sweetie Pie bronzer; Nars Mulholland Drive liner
Any beauty discoveries (new or old): I’ve been using MAC Pro Longwear concealer again after setting it aside for quite some time; a “new to me discovery” is ABH Dipbrow. I don’t usually bother much with my brows but a light application of this is really nice and the #12 brush helps keep it looking like a natural look.
Coloring: Under my name. Green eyes, s&p hair
Favorite Look: EYES—Primed with MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre and set with Urban Decay Foxy eyeshadow. Started with Kaja Cool Khaki in crease, then I used CP’s Just My Luck palette (Olive U on lid, Mary Jane on inner lid, Charmed on outer V). Chanel Stylo Yeux Pencil in Celadon on outer third of lower lashline, Tarte Lights Camera Lashes mascara.
FACE—Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup in Desert Beige, Lancôme Effacernes Waterproof Concealer in Light Buff, MAC Mineralize Blush in Sweet Enough, RCMA No Color Powder.
LIPS—MAC Velvet Teddy applied on top of Dior Addict Lip Glow 001 Pink, which gives Velvet Teddy a Cremesheen look and keeps my lips hydrated.
Most Used Products: Colourpop Precision Brow Colour, Estée Lauder Double Wear Makeup, Lancôme Effacernes Waterproof Concealer, RCMA No Color Powder.
Beauty Discovery: Nothing this week.
Your skin tone/coloring: Under my name; magenta/red hair; hazel/green eyes.
Favorite look from the week: Periwinkle and silver look. EYES — TFSI. Bali from Ace Beaute Oceanic Palette (built up lightly in crease and fading up toward the brow), Coloured Raine Vivid Pigment in Jet Set (deepening the crease, pulled out to the side, lower lid). Ace Beaute Paradise Fallen Palette: Moon Glow (lids), Black Out (lower lashline). ABH Moon Child HL in Blue Moon (brow bone) and Star (inner corner). NYX Liquid Liner in Black (upper lash line). UD 24/7 Eye Pencil in Perversion (upper & lower waterlines). UD Troublemaker Mascara. BROWS — Powder from e.l.f. Brow Kit in Medium. LIPS — Geek Chic Lip Zazz Liquid Lipstick in Bio-Exorcist. CHEEKS — Physicians Formula Butter Blush in Plum Rose and ABH Blue Moon. FACE — E.l.f. Pore Filling Face Primer; BH Cosmetics Naturally Flawless Finish Foundation in Ivory; RCMA No Color Powder; Sephora Tranquil (contour); City Color Cosmetics Intense Exposure Highlighting Powder; e.l.f. Original Mist & Set.
Your most used product this week: My usual dailies for makeup and skin care. I’ve been switching up foundations due to skin redness and cystic acne flare-ups. I’ve been switching up color products.
Any beauty discoveries (new or old):
*I don’t know why, but my favorite foundation brush, the Tarte Miracles in the Amazon Foundcealer Brush, died. Clumps of bristles started falling out like the glue had gone bad. I don’t soak my brushes in water or anything, so I have no clue why this happened, unless their glue just didn’t age well. I got the Revolution Makeup Makeup Obsession Marble Large Oval Face Brush because it was on flash sale for less than $5, and I was ordering other stuff. I’m really impressed! It’s soft, dense, and buffs out my Lancome Teint Idole and bareMinerals Pure Brightening Serum Foundation like a dream. Score!
*I forgot to put it on my Free for Haul post, but I got the Alter Ego Goddess Palette, which is supposed to be a dupe for Natasha Denona Gold, and Zabrena, Miranda at Slashed Beauty, and ShanShortcake among others gave it a thumbs up. The palette was only $16, so I thought I’d try it. I’ve heard rumors Bad Habit rebranded as Alter Ego, and that seems plausible based on packaging, duping, and shadow formula.
*My facial skin is changing AGAIN. My blood sugar is under much better control, and I’m through menopause. Estrogen changes from menopause can trigger Type II diabetes. I had no idea! I started having a bunch of health issues and “brain fog” during a 3-month period. My doctor and I have always have watched my blood sugar closely because of my weight, but my diet was really healthy and all my sugar, cholesterol, etc. has always been in the low end of recommended ranges. Then, boom! My sugar suddenly went out-of-control high. Anyway, medication, more exercise, and dietary tweaks are doing their jobs, and I digress. The Volition Strawberry-C serum has done wonders for the dry cheeks and, I think, overall facial skin chemistry. My dry, eczema-prone body and hands are drier than ever, and nothing seems to be helping.
The last few weeks I’ve gone to mixing the more hydrating face primers with leftover NYX Angel Veil, and I’ve had a couple days this week where I was wearing Angel Veil by itself again. So, now I need a bigger wardrobe of primers, which annoys me more than it should. I found that e.l.f. Pore Filling Primer is almost exactly like the Angel Veil/e.l.f. Hydrating Primer mix I’ve been using lately, too.
I am glad to hear that diet control, exercise and medication are controlling your diabetes, Rachel. I have a history of diabetes on both sides of my family and when I had a late in life pregnancy, my obstetrician told me that he fully expected me to develop gestational diabetes. When I didn’t he told me that I didn’t have to worry about diabetes because if I didn’t develop it then I wouldn’t. I wish I had insisted he write that down somewhere because not only have a developed diabetes, I have a particularly difficult to manage case. My father was a diabetic and passed away from complications of the disease. He died at about the same time I was diagnosed. You would think that would encourage me to exercise and watch my weight but so far, it hasn’t. I was pretty well controlled by medication and found Metformin to be the best medication for me but sadly, I couldn’t tolerate it. No other oral medications worked and I started on insulin about 4 years ago. My dosage keeps increasing and about a year ago the Dr. added Victoza to my meds. My insurance won’t pay for the once a week dose so I give myself a daily injection of Victoza and twice a day insulin. My brother has also been diagnosed and so far he seems to have inherited the form of diabetes that runs on my mom’s side of the family which is much milder and easily controlled with oral medication. One thing to consider when dealing with Type II diabetes is that you body may still be producing insulin and certain medications can help encourage that which sometimes accounts for fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Some days you body may produce more insulin and absorb it better and on other days it might not, resulting in a higher blood sugar without changing much of anything. I really admire your commitment to getting healthier and always thought given my profession and knowledge that when faced with the situation, I would make the changes. It is a disappointment to me that I can’t seem to make myself do it. I daily take myself to task to try and be better but always end up failing. Anyway, I really commend you and am happy that you are doing better.
Also, the mental changes that come with menopause are pretty common and they do get better with time. I use to feel like I suddenly lost about 100 IQ points. I was really concerned until my Dr. told me that a fuzzy thought process or feeling like you are walking around with a cotton ball in your head is very common and would get better. I was happy to put menstruation behind me but wished it back when the side effects hit. Luckily, my Dr. was right and it did go away!!
Deborah, sorry you had it so tough with your diabetes. Thank you for the extra information on the subject. I really appreciate that and your praise. Don’t beat yourself up too much. The changes can be hard to make. For me, the worst is still finding more time to exercise…and it has to be on days my back pain isn’t awful. I like to be active, but I hate just exercise itself as the main activity. Boring, boring, boring. But I’m learning, slowly, that it’s necessary and really does help.
My head fog and fatigue are so much better with the blood sugar down. Even the back and hip pain from my car accident seems improved.
My mother had Type II, but honestly, she had the worst diet, was lazy (she made everybody do everything except go to the bathroom for her…and she tried to get my brother to get her a potty seat so she didn’t have to do that, even though she could use the bathroom on her own), and lied to her doctors about whether how she was eating and exercising. So I didn’t ignore that she had it, but I didn’t think I’d get it as long as I kept eating right. Again, I knew nothing about menopause changing it, or I would have been more pro-active.
Metformin and a small dose of Glipizide is working for me. My blood sugar not down to normal levels yet, but a ton better, and much more consistent. At first it was all over the place, but this last month, my test results have all been within a 7 point range. I’m below the blood sugar goal my doctor set for me to get to by October.
I visited a dietician, too. She is great! She’s not into body or diet shaming, very inclusive of “real” unprocessed foods, and balancing carbs/sugars with protein and fiber. My diet was already really good, so I just had to cut out the last of the processed foods, switch to everything whole grain (pasta was the biggest one), and cut out sugar sweets entirely. If I don’t eat sweets, I don’t tend to miss them much (so I have never kept many in the house). Sugar-free products such as “maple syrup” are so much better these days, too. Usually, I can’t tell the difference. Eating out is the biggest challenge, but I’m managing it. Fortunately, I don’t tend to eat out a ton.
Stress definitely seems to effect my blood sugar, and that’s tough to regulate. It’s not affecting my blood sugar as much now, though. I’m on the right path, I think.
✔ Your skin tone/coloring: Under my name!
✔ Favorite look from the week: I went with an almost-bare look (which was an illusion, as I had all the standard base products on), and strong cheek color (ColourPop’s Between the Sheets, My Pretty Zombie’s MDMA, and Aromaleigh’s Vale of Nyssa). Bare lips (slightly lightened by base products), MAC’s paint pot in Groundwork in an exceptionally diffuse halo eye, no mascara or liner. I think I was inspired by Klimt’s “Portrait of Emily Floge” (I’ve always thought she looked a bit like me — minus the narrow nose and curly brown hair).
✔ Your most used product this week: As always, base products. I don’t think I used anything else more than once.
✔ Any beauty discoveries (new or old): I discovered I had a tube of Paula’s Antioxidant Pore Purifier squirreled away. I didn’t know I had it (can’t even remember buying it), and have never used it before, but I started using it the beginning of this week, and it’s already doing good things for the area around and on my nose and chin. Very happy that I decided to declutter that particular shelf in the vanity cabinet.