Current Beauty Faves - 8/18/13

Yup, that's right!  I'm still alive.  I know you were beginning to wonder if I'd fallen off the face of the earth but never fear, I'm back ;)

I felt like jumping on today just to mention a few of my "current faves."  I won't waste your time with any excuses for my absence and instead I'll just get right into it!  

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in "Tiki"

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After years of haphazardly fluffing bronzer all over my entire face, I've finally gotten into the practice of highlighting and contouring.  Before I was just trying to look tan and I'm fairly sure I just looked like I had a dirty face. 

Anyway, I love this Hard Candy product NOT for bronzing but for the highlighting.  It's around $9.00 at Wal-Mart (I'm not sure if you can get it anywhere else) and it lasts forever.  This powder is a beautiful golden/tan concoction that simply makes me *glow* (well, I think so anyway!).   I've tried other highlighters such as ELF's  "Gotta Glow" (which is supposed to be a dupe for NARS Albatross), but it doesn't come close to matching the beautiful sheen I get from Tiki.  I typically use this in conjunction with Bare Minerals ready bronzer in "The Deep End" with MAC's powder blush in Springsheen on my cheeks.  

And for anyone looking for a highlighting/contouring guide, here is a great (exaggerated) visual from Kevyn Aucoin:

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I know in my 2012 beauty favorites I mentioned some of my favorite Sigma brushes and I have to say my obsession with Sigma has only grown.  I have no idea if painters are picky about what brushes they use but for me, makeup brushes have made all the difference in makeup application and the final product. Given how much of a difference they make and how well these brushes hold up, I feel like they are worth the price and are MUCH more affordable than comparable high end makeup brushes. 

My current favorites from Sigma are the F10 and F86.

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When I first received the F10 I wasn't sure if I was going to like it.  I am picky about the width of my blush brushes and was concerned this was going to be too dense and narrow.  I'm happy to report that after continued use it does loosen up and provides the perfect fanned shape for applying blush to my cheeks.  

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I purchased the F86 with the hope that it would be perfect for applying the setting powder for my under eye concealer and sure enough, I'm in love again!  I feel like it's hard to strike out with any of the Sigma Kabuki brushes.  They are incredibly soft and apply makeup like a dream.  After I apply my trusty MAC Studio Finish Concealer, I dip my F86 in Bare Minerals Well-Rested, tap off the excess, and dab from the inner corner to the outer corner.  It sets my concealer perfectly and applies just the right amount of setting powder.  

I am so obsessed with these brushes that I just purchased two more for back ups :)  

Getting back to makeup products, lately I've been reaching for my Wet N Wild eye palette in "Comfort Zone."  

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This is a beautiful and AFFORDABLE eye shadow palette that can be used for multiple looks.  Lately I've been keeping it simple and using the top left three.  I've been using a mix of the eyelid and browbone color all over the lid and a mix of the eyelid and crease color on the outer v.  It offers great pigmentation and when paired with eyelid primer can last all day.  I believe I purchased this for around $5 at Wal-Mart. 

The last item I'll mention today is E.L.F. Mineral Lipstick in the shade "Rosy Raisin."  

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I purchased this lipstick shade online and was so pleasantly surprised with the color.  I've been looking for a "my lips but better" color for a long time and this is the best neutral I've found.  It's a beautiful, warm pinky-nude.  It doesn't wash my lips out (I hate that!) and it looks incredibly natural.  My only complaint is the severe angle of the lipstick.  It feels a bit unnatural when I apply it. I don't know if this is a fluke or if they are all like this but it bothers me just a bit.  

I hope you enjoyed this round up of current faves!  I have a lot more in mind I've been meaning to post about.  Let me know if you've made any new discoveries lately.  

~Christi