My Stash: Lip Glosses

Now I must chronicle one of the most numbered parts of my stash: my lip products.

 

I have so many that I have to break this up into several posts.  First up, lip glosses!

My Stash: Foundations

They are a necessary evil for me.

Since I've gotten really obsessive with makeup, I've been on the hunt for the perfect foundation.  I need it to be easy to apply (preferably with fingers), be a good color match, provide a demi-matte finish, blur imperfections without looking like a mask, and cost less than 20 bucks.

Am I asking for too much?

Well, at this point I am at a good working place.  I have foundations that work well for me, but not perfectly.  There's always something a bit off!

First, the liquids:

 

From Left:  Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily Skin in 360 Rich Ginger and 400 Caramel, Maybelline Mineral Power Foundation in Dark 2 Caramel (discontinued), Revlon Colorstay Whipped in Caramel, Covergirl Natureluxe in 365 Chestnut and 360 Nutmeg (discontinued).

Revlon Colorstay: It's a classic and my go-to for weddings and other all-day events. It wears all day and only requires minimal blotting.  I mix Rich Ginger and Caramel in different ratios to match my skintone throughout the year.  It works well, though I'm discovering that both shades are a little too pink/red for my skintone.

Revlon Colorstay Whipped: This also wears well, but not as well as the original. I love the texture! This would be a good foundation if I had a better color match.  Caramel is a little too dark and red, and Rich Ginger (which I tried, then swapped away) was waaaaay too light.  Maybe Revlon will come out with a shade between Rich Ginger and Caramel that would be a good match for me.

Maybelline Mineral Power: foundation is a good color match, but its silicone-y finish transfers easily.  Even if it was an awesome foundation, it's discontinued, so I still need an alternative.

Covergirl Natureluxe: This foundation met my finish requirements. It is easy to apply with fingers and dries to a semi-matte finish.  The undertones were just right, too; most foundations are too red for me.  However, I could not find a perfect skintone match. 


I also have liquid foundations:

Clockwise from left:  Avon Ideal Shade Cream-to-Powder Foundation in H304 Earth (discontinued), L'Oreal True Match Powder Foundation in c7 Nut Brown, Black Radiance Pressed Powder in Creamy Beige, Black Opal Oil Absorbing Pressed Powder.

Avon Ideal Shade: Maybe once upon a time this was a good match, but now it's a shade too dark and the undertones are too red.  I haven't used this in a while, but I remember it applying well, looking good, and not breaking me out.

L'Oreal True Match: This powder is the best match to my skin right now.  It evens out my skintone well and blurs imperfections.  This is my everyday go-to for a natural, everyday look. The only thing this doesn't do is control oil, and I have my Black Opal powder for that.   I've already repurchased this for when I run out.

Black Radiance Pressed Powder: I achieved a natural look effortlessly with this powder, but Creamy Beige is too red a shade for me.  I wish that the colors were easier to tell apart in the store.

Black Opal:  This is not a foundation, but it completes my collection of pressed face powders.  I talk about it here.

So I have seven foundations, some in more than one shade, which makes for nine foundations in my stash.  In my opinion, this is too many.   I only want three to four at the most: one or two powder foundations, a lighter liquid foundation for everyday wear, and a medium to full coverage foundation for a more flawless look.  To achieve this goal, I will purge what isn't working for me and throw away the expiring foundations.  I'll stay on the hunt to fufill my foundation, but resist the temptation to become a foundation junkie.

My Stash: Black Radiance Artisian Color Baked Blushes and Bronzer Swatches

Everyone should know about these blushes!

Yummy.

From top left:  Raspberry, Toasted Almond, Plum Sorbet, Gingersnap, Warm Berry

Raspberry

Toasted Almond

Plum Sorbet

Gingersnap

Warm Berry

Black Radiance products are manufactured by Markwins, Inc., the same company that produces Wet 'n' Wild Cosmetics.  Like its sister company, Black Radiance's blushes are amazingly pigmented and smoothly milled.  The packaging is bulky, but adequate; these blushes are not prone to easy shattering like their wet 'n' wild sisters.

Heavy finger swatches, without and with flash:

 

 

From left:  Warm Berry, Plum Sorbet, Raspberry, Toasted Almond, Gingersnap.

• Warm Berry is a dark reddish pink with a satin finish and fine silver glitter.  I love to pair this with my red lipsticks.
• Plum Sorbet is a pinky plum blush with pale pink, deep plum, and violet veining.  It has a shimmery finish.  I love this color with plum, berry, or even blue-toned red lips.
• Raspberry is a rich deep magenta with a satin finish.  Due to its richness, I often pair this with my-lips-but-better colors.
• Toasted Almond is a deep pinky brown with a matte finish.  It goes well with any lip color.
• Gingersnap is a light bronze with gold veining and a hint of pink.  It has a shimmery finish.  This color cannot serve as a contour for anyone due to the shimmer;  I use it as a highlight or a barely-there blush.  It also goes well with any lip color.

A few months ago, I also purchased the bronzers in Blackberry and Rum Spice.  Rum Spice is lighter than Gingersnap and showed up almost champagne on me.  Blackberry is a deep cool purple with gold veining.  If it wasn't for the shimmer, it would be the perfect contour color for dark-skinned, neutral- to cool-toned faces.  I could find no use for them, so I returned them to the store.

These blushes are best approached lightly lest you end up with clown cheeks.  Even so, they are a joy to use because they are not excessively powdery.  I find that these blushes last on me all day until I wash my face, whether or not I am wearing foundation.

These blushes and bronzers can be found at select drugstores (read: stores that serve a Black population),  drugstore.com, and walgreens.com.  Blackradiancebeauty.com has a store locator to help you find nearby stores that carry these products.  They usually retail at $4.99, but I've seen $1.00 off coupons included on the packaging every once in a while.

I highly recommend all who love blushes to give these a try.  I enjoy every color I own.

My Stash Part 2: Blushes (and One Bronzer)

I heart blushes.

Once upon a time, I didn't wear blush.

"I got plenty of color in my face!  Why do I need it?"

My thoughts were so, so foolish back then.

My discovery of blush eighteen months ago was like that of a infant discovering his toes for the first time.

Now I have these:

Ahh, lovely.

 From bottom left, clockwise:  Milani Mai Tai, Wet 'n' Wild Berry Shimmer, WNW Heather Silk, Black Radiance Raspberry, BR Warm Berry, BR Plum Sorbet, WNW Mellow Wine, BR Toasted Almond, BR Bronzer in Gingersnap.

Middle, from top:  Jordana Coral Sandy Beach,  La Femme Golden Sunset, Jordana Blush Powder in Blushing Rose, Redwood, and Terracotta

Total: 13 blushes, 1 bronzer.

I don't need or want more.....except for the Sleek MakeUP ones I plan to haul.  I alluded to that here. Then I will be done.