Review: Revlon Photoready Concealer

Concealer is my number one must-have makeup item.  However, as I've come to realize, when you love a product sooo much, you start to get really picky (judgmental?) about it. All my concealers before this one have been too cakey, not enough coverage, and the ultimate worst -- smelled weird. Also, I like to have a concealer that looks good under the eyes and on blemishes. (Man, is that quite a list. Almost as long as my guy criteria list. I guess when you have to deal with something everyday you want it to be perfect!) Anyways, finally (finally!!) I've found a concealer that is so close to being perfect and definitely a holy grail. And it matches my skin tone perfectly -- bonus!! 

Packaging: For the price it's retailed at, you can't beat the packaging. It's packaged like a lipstick, which I personally love because it's the easiest form to apply. Some people are weary of how sanitary that is, but I think it's fine applying it directly out of the tube if it's for personal use. The only time I use a brush to apply it is when I have an active blemish. The one thing I was concerned about was the plastic lid breaking, but it hasn't so far and I can't even count the number of times I've found it lying on the bottom of my purse.

Formula: This is the part where it might be make it or break it for some people. I have combination oily skin so I have no problem with the formula at all - it's creamy, glides on smoothly, and blends in well with a semi matte finish that looks very natural. It doesn't magnify the fine lines under my eyes, or the pores around my nose. It just makes my skin look naturally flawless. 

BUT, I'm not sure how this would work on dry skin - if it would stick to dry patches, how it would apply - I have no idea. I think you could definitely give it a shot, but no promises from me. 

For me it works well for under the eyes and on blemishes (though it does get a little cakey if the blemishes are big).  It is definitely full coverage concealer  - sometimes I wish they had a foundation stick like this!! Lastly, it has spf 20. (hooray!) Obviously, it's not going to be the biggest source of sun protection (if you're someone who burns easily, layer up on the sunscreen before), but it's good for the summer time. Also, since it is part of the photo ready line you shouldn't have a problem with white reflection. 

Color/Staying Power: The color deep 006 matches my skin tone perfectly. But that is the darkest color in the line which consists of only 6 colors. So overall, the color selection isn't good. As for as staying power, on normal, flat skin I don't find the need to reapply. But if I have specific areas that need covering up (blemish), I might need to reapply halfway through the day, which personally isn't a problem since it's so small and so easy to use. It's like applying  lipstick... on your face. 

The Results:

Pros: 

- small, portable packaging

- matches my skin tone

- good for oily skin

- creamy, easy to blend

- highly pigmented

- lasts most of the day

- can use for blemishes and under the eyes

- inexpensive (under $10, price depends on retailer)

Cons:

- might cling to dry patches (not sure)

- small color range

- slightly cakey on big blemishes

All in all, I love this product and it's completely a holy grail for me. I'm almost down to the near nub of it, and you bet your bootie I will be running down to Target as soon as it's done. Will this be the only thing I pick up then? Ahaha good one. I mean, who can walk into Target, into the makeup aisle furthermore, and pick up only one thing. Certainly not me, the guilty, self confessed, self diagnosed, beauty addict. 

The 5 Best Drugstore Mascaras (summer '13)

I for one am intimidated by the number of options for mascara that exists in the drugstore. Ones that claim to lengthen, ones that claim to thicken, and the supermascaras that claim to do both. And of course there's the colorful packaging (*cough* Maybelline *cough*). I get overwhelmed with all the options and often forget the mascara I came in looking for. I'll buy something else, regret it, and be right where I started, staring at all the mascara. I swear, the CVS next to my house stays in business solely because of my mascara consumption.

But no fear, I'm here. Here are the best mascaras available in the drugstore for summer 2013. And for those of you wondering, Maybelline is definitely my favorite drugstore brand for mascara, but these aren't listed in any order. 

Maybelline the  Rocket ($6) - lengthens, holds, curl, doesn't flake ( I do not like the waterproof  
version at all though) (review here)
L'oreal Carbon Black Voluminous ($8) - doesn't clump, easy to build up, volumizes (review here)
Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes ($6) - curved wand, subtle but still enhances lashes (review here)
L'oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions ($10) - lengthens, 'fase lash effect', (review here)
Maybelline the Falsies Flared ($6) - volumes, lengthens, holds a curl (review here)

So those are all my favorite mascaras! Even though I link to other reviews, I have tried them all out and agree with everything the linked reviewer says. What are your favorites?

First image from here. All other images from corresponding links. 

How to Get Fresh, Glowy Skin

It's summer and that means lots of laying by the pool & beach or just being outdoors in the warm days. We all know how the basics of having tan, glowy skin - lather ourselves in sunscreen and hope you come out with a toasted glow rather than tomato red skin. And if all else fails, we'll pick up a bottle of Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs (read a review here) and hope for the best.

But the real secret to glowy skin starts before you leave the confinements of your bathroom. After the five basic steps of exfoliate, shave, wash, moisturize, sunscreen you'll be left with soft, dewy skin.

1. Exfoliate. This is such a holy grail step in my skin care routine. Your skin feels so soft and and clean after the exfoliater has swept away all the dead skin cells, dirt and the other yucky things life leaves on your skin. By sweeping away the outer layer of your skin, it'll provide a smooth canvas for a clean shave.
           I recommend St. Ives Invigorating Body Scrub (review here), and the Soap & Gory Flake Away (review here). You can use the St. Ives on your face too, but I recommend only using it once a week because it is a little harsh.

2. Shave (with a good shaving cream). Well, obviously, to achieve soft smooth skin you need to shave. But the key isn't as much in the razor as in the shaving cream. Choosing a thicker cream, over a gel will moisturize your skin better and prevent razor burn.
            I recommend EOS shaving cream (review here). It super thick, and smells really good. It actually comes in multiple different colors and flavors (scents?), so pick what you like.

3. Moisturizing Body Wash. I found the biggest difference in my skin when I switched from a bar soap to a body wash. Lather it up in a loofa and scrub away. Do this after you shave to get any excess hair or shaving cream off and to really moisturize the skin.
          I recommend Olay Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash , or the Lush Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie ($35; review here). The Olay lathers up so well and is inexpensive too. The last one is a little bit of an investment but I think it's worth every penny and it'll last you a little while.

4. Moisturize. As you can probably tell, fresh, glowy, skin is all about moisturizing. So it needs to go without saying (but I'll say it anyway), moisturize with a thick body butter or lotion.
        I recommend Vaseline Total Moisture (review here), The Body Shop Body Butter (review here), and the Laura Mercier Soufflé (review here) (priced from lowest to highest) to provide plenty of moisture. And from someone who's first impression of a lotion is purely based on the smell, these all have A++++ in that category.
 

5. Sunscreen, SPF, the works. If you are spending any amount of time in the sun, remember to protect and take care of your skin. If you forget the sunscreen, all the hard work you put in for the past four steps will go to waste. Instead of being left with soft tan skin, you'll be left with itchy sunburned skin. Any sunscreen will do as long as it has plenty of SPF. I recommend using the Hawaiian Tropic After-Sun Lotion (review here) after you are in the sun. It has aloe vera in it that soothes the skin from the sun. I can't tell you the number of times that this has saved me from coming close to have a sunburn. And if you want extra shimmer or glow (or maybe bring out your inner Edward Cullen), use the sparkly version

That's it ladies!! Go enjoy your fresh dewy skin!!

I do not own any images. Original image from here. All other images are from corresponding links.

Welcome to Sprinkle of Sequins!

Hi everyone! I've been reading blogs every morning for ages now, because what's better than doing something you love ( reading) about things you love (fashion, beauty etc.) I've always wanted to be involved in the "blogging world", but I just kept making excuses (not enough time, no one will read it). Finally I put my foot down. No, Mia. You are going to create a blog, and keep it going for a year. That's it. No more excuses. So here goes absolutely nothing... except a sprinkle of sequins. 

What is a sprinkle of sequins?

Well, I guess we should break it down.

sprin•kle    /ˈspriNGkəl/

noun. A small amount of something scattered over an area. 

se•quin  /ˈsēkwin/

noun. A small shiny, sparkly disc. 

So a sprinkle of sequins is a a small amount of shiny, sparkly things scattered around.  I intend to do this in every post. Reading my blog is just a small amount, just a sprinkle, of your day. But I intend to make it sparkly, and colorful, something to make you laugh and be happy. Because that's just what you need with your morning cup of coffee. 

Who am I? 

Well my name is Mia. I'm a high school student living somewhere in the 3,000 mile wide USA. I love art, makeup, beauty, fashion, cooking, baking -- basically everything you can find on Pinterest. (Making that another one of my hobbies. I swear I can spend hours, hours, on that site.) I also love to dance and play golf. And being a student, thus on a limited budget, I absolutely love easy DIY's. You'll probably see a mix of all of the above in posts, but I'm sure as this blog grows and changes, and I find the things I really like to blog about, it'll become narrowed. 

Well that's pretty much it. I'm sure you'll learn more about me and this blog as we grow together as readers and writers, but for now this is it. I hope you enjoy your sprinkle of sequins!