I'm Back! APRIL FAVES & ONE LETDOWN

Followers and friends! It has been a long time since my last post.  I apologize for my absence from the Internet. At times, life gets far too hectic for my liking, and my blog had to be put on the back burner for a bit. But, I’m back with a vengeance and thrilled to have the opportunity to resurrect my poor little blog back from the dead!

To get right back in to the ‘swing of things’, I thought I would start with a new segment on my blog entitled “MONTHLY FAVES". Since April has come and gone, here are a few of my favorite products that I found myself using over and over again! I will also include one monthly product that I didn’t like at all.

As a reminder, with any of my posts, all of these opinions are my own. If a product hasn’t necessarily worked out for me, there’s no reason why it might not work for you. Ultimately, you may draw your own conclusions from my reviews.. I’m just your guinea pig! ;)

APRIL FAVES

Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Foundation

This foundation is amazing. I cannot stress enough how important it is to find a foundation that suits your skin type and makes you look flawless! After countless bottles and brands that left nothing but streaks, dry patches and blemishes, I have finally found a product that works for me. This formula is long-lasting as it promises and feels weightless on your face. Even though it’s a heavy coverage foundation, it doesn’t clog my pores or feel heavy after applying.

If I had to list one con for this product, I would have to say that without a base or primer, the foundation wouldn’t wear for as long as it says. Perhaps this is just for me, but I found that without primer, the foundation seemed to ‘slide’ off my face.

The Beauty Blender

Let me just say that after using the Beauty Blender, I will never go back to using a brush to apply foundation. The sponge when wet helps apply the foundation on evenly without drying or having a ‘cakey’ effect. As well, the sponge comes clean easily (with brush cleanser or baby shampoo) and I haven’t had any problems with blemishes on my face since using this product.

Although some may think that they price for this sponge is expensive, I say it’s worth the money because the product delivers a natural and flawless finish when applying face makeup. When paired with my new favorite foundation, I have never had a more flawless complexion and that feels pretty good!

Josie Maran’s Pure Argan Oil

Lately my skin has been acting all kinds of crazy. It goes from extremely dry, to normal, to even oily depending on the time of the month, and I have had a really hard time using a moisturizer that can keep up with these changes. Then, I decided to forgo moisturizer all together and use oil instead. This product delivers the moisture that I need and has helped with the appearance and overall quality of my skin. As well, you can use this ‘miracle oil’ on your hair or on your cuticles, but for myself, I prefer to just keep it on the face.

One problem I have with this product is that with the eye-dropper applicator you waste a lot of this product.. which of course is INSANELY EXPENSIVE!

APRIL'S LETDOWN

YSL – Rouge Pour Couture – Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain

This product was my first YSL purchase and was A HUGE LETDOWN. First of all, the colour wasn’t that awesome. This product is a cross between a lip stain, and a gloss but it just really didn’t deliver for me. As well, I did not enjoy the harsh chemical smell that came from the product… and it was $36 dollars! Let’s just say after applying it once, I returned it to Sephora because I was just not happy with it. Huge letdown, but at least they have a great return policy!

It feels so great to be back! If you have any questions or requests, please let me know via twitter @gr8northbeauty

The Shelf Life Of Your Makeup.. The Truth Behind Expiration Dates

 Did you know that makeup has an expiration date? You need to be very wary before touching that clearance rack at the drug store, makeup is on sale for a reason.. Because it’s going to expire soon! I have prepared for you a handy little chart of makeup and its expiration times.

Makeup Type	Expiration	Additional Notes
Powder Blush	12-18 Months	If your blush is drying out, becoming hard, or loses pigmentation, its time to throw it away!
Concealer	12-18 Months	Long shelf life, but honestly who wouldn’t use it up? It’s a makeup staple!
Cream Blush	12 Months	If it starts to get watery, or has a funny smell, throw it away or be punished with clogged pores!
Face Powder	2 Years	This is why powder is always worth the money! Long shelf life, and long lasting.
Pencil Eyeliner Lip liner	3 Years	Be wary of bacteria; sharpen this on a regular basis if you’re going to keep it for that long.
Eyeshadow	3 Years	Like blush, it’ll become dry, cracked, and harvests bacteria from brush use.
Makeup Brushes	1-2 Years	They’ll last if you clean them at least once a week. See my previous blog post about brush upkeep for more info.
Foundation	Water-Based 12 Months Oil-Based 18 Months	To preserve water-based longer, if it becomes dry add in a little alcohol-free toner and shake it up. To preserve oil-based, just shake it up, the oil will naturally separate over time.
Lipstick	Anywhere between 1 to 4 years	If your lipstick smells or applies bad, throw it out. You can also preserve your lipstick in the fridge to maintain a longer shelf life!
Nail Polish	1-2 Years	To preserve the life of your nail polish longer, shake once or twice a month. And open and close the lid to maintain the colour!
Mascara	3-4 Months	This spoils the quickest, because we are constantly dipping the brush in the product. This exposes the product to air, which in turn, will dry it out quicker.

I hope this helps! Let me know of any other requests that you would like to see on my page by sending me a tweet! 

DIY Honey Banana Yogurt Face Mask

DIY Honey Banana Yogurt Oat Face Mask

So I know what you’re thinking… putting yogurt on your face? A little weird at first, but once you try out this facemask you won’t believe how moisturizing this can be for your skin! And it doesn’t smell bad either! Once again it’s inexpensive, most of us have these items lying around the kitchen, nothing too fancy! If you have really dry skin, you may want to exfoliate prior to using this facemask to achieve the best results.

Why this mask is so good for your skin:

Yogurt is a natural exfoliator. It helps slough off dead skins cells, leaving yours radiant. Honey makes a perfect natural moisturizer. Banana is both a delicious fruit, and an excellent moisturizer for your face! Oats help calm your skin and soothe it of any excess redness.

You Will Need:

½ Cup Natural Yogurt

1 Tablespoon of Honey

½ Banana

Oats

Small Bowl

Microwave

Instructions:

1.     Take your ½ banana and mash it into pieces in a small bowl.

2.     Add 1 tablespoon of honey and mix with the banana.

3.     Place ½ cup of Natural Yogurt and add to mixture.

4.     Add enough oats to the mix until it acts as a bind for the mask.

5.     Put the mixture in the microwave for 1 minute.

6.     Once warm apply the mask all over the face and neck area.

7.     After 30 minutes rinse the mask of with warm water.

The heat in this mask is going to open up those pores while the ingredients in the mask work to bring moisture deep into the skin. The skin is our largest organ, so we have to be sure that we take good care of it!

Until next time, I’ll be back in my kitchen experimenting with more DIY beauty projects… Please don’t forget to subscribe to our Twitter for all your beauty updates! @gr8northbeauty