I think one word women have heard since they were very little is the word PEDS. I mean, who doesn’t know what they are? And they’ve fixed an age-old or rather millennial-old problem, with these I found recently. See, my feet don’t fare very well to being cooped up in heels all day without protection in the form of a sock or nylon. Ok, I’ll say it – my feet stink! If I wear bare feet inside leather or non-leather shoes, they sweat and after a while they will stick up the shoes permanently. Up until about 1 decade ago, or longer actually, we had nylons but since those have gone the way of the stone washed jeans, what’s a woman to do?

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BAREMINERALS just came out with a huge collection of lippies called GEN NUDE. It’s comprised of lipsticks, lipgloss, liquid lipcolors and lip liners. 60 shade offerings in all!

Nude lippies are a funny thing. It would seem that since its nude, it would go with all skin tones but that’s not the case. I recently threw out an expensive nude liquid lipstick after determining that it was too pink for me.

Let's check out some from each collection!

BAREMINERALS GEN NUDE COLLECTION

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I’ve often wondered about mascara, as in, what’s to stop a company from using the same formula from product to product just with different packaging and a new jazzy name? Take The SuperSizer and Plumpify blastPRO both from COVERGIRL that I got around the same time. I like them both a lot and have been alternating from using each one on different days. The brushes are different so they seem to apply the mascara a little bit differently in the end look. But how do I know that this is really a new or different formula from the one hanging on the rack in the store next to it?

So with this in mind, I did a little research into these two specific ones. First, mascara formulas are probably not all that different from each other. I mean, they have to do a specific thing and as you can see from the below, have to contain the same kinds of ingredients. And if you were curious about product testing and the FDA, click here. 

The SuperSizer ingredients:

Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Triethanolamine, Polyethylene, Propylene Carbonate, Lecithin, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Oleic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Methylparaben, Glycerin, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Trisodium EDTA, Simethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylcellulose. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

Plumpify ingredients:

Water/Eau, Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire De Carnauba, Triethanolamine, Polyethylene, Propylene Carbonate, Lecithin, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Oleic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Methylparaben, Glycerin, Ethylparaben, Tocopherol, Propylparaben, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium EDTA, Simethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylcellulose. May Contain: Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

So just something to think about because I’m not sure us consumers will or could ever know if a company owns one, two or three different mascara formulas that they just alternate with each new one they put out. What do you think?

I heard about this after having lunch with a fellow blogger. Her skin looked amazing and this was the catalyst! URBAN DECAY All Nighter Liquid Foundation ($40/1oz @ urbandecay.com, ulta.com) is the latest to come out and this is a, wait for it, full coverage one. Yeah! I’m so used to sheer or medium coverage these days that it’s nice to see a serious one come down the pike.They say that this one won’t quit after just a few hours, hence the name. It has a matte finish but don’t worry, it doesn’t look flat like primer paint, and a little goes a long way. One pump is good for the whole face and because it’s full coverage there’s no need to build up multiple layers.

I used my Artis 6 brush with this one when I first tried it and woah, too much, my face looked a little cakey in different areas, so I tried this Sephora brush and then this one from Cover FX and neither worked well, so I tried a damp Beauty Blender and it did the job nicely. I would advise using a moisturizer before applying this foundation so it goes on smoothly.

And I know it is a small detail but the airless pump really is a great delivery system. Not only does it dispense the right amount each time but it keeps it free from contaminants. 

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

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I seem to go in and out when it comes to using face masks. I know it's good to give the skin some extra attention with specific ingredients but like washing my hair, it's work and I've just been uber lazy the last few months! On the other hand, I have seen some good results alternating between the below ones this summer so I'll be keeping it up!

CHELLA Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask Kit ($30/4 sets @ chella.com, dermstore.com) – great for a quick under eye pick-me-up that will depuff and lessen dark circles. It’s a two-part system where you squeeze out the activator packet onto the pads and then apply them to the skin for 15 minutes.

H2O+ Oasis Moisture Lock Mask ($42/2oz @ h2oplus.com, ulta.com) – this one smells sooo good and is a summery blue color! Hydrate and smooth the skin all in 10 minutes.

H2O+ Infinity+ Youth Reveal Peel ($44/2oz @ h2oplus.com, dermstore.com) – I know this one doesn't fall straight under the face mask category but I've been using it as one. It seems a little more intense than the above one and does its thing in only 3 minutes. In addition to super hydration, this one also exfoliates using alpha hydroxy acids. 

TATCHA Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Mask ($28/single mask, $95/four-pack @ tatcha.com, net-a-porter.com) – have you tried a sheet mask yet? I see some people on Instagram that swear by them, like @missfamenyc on Instagram. This particular sheet mask contains Red Algae from Japan’s Okinawa and the brand’s signature HADASEI-3 Bioactive complex, which smooths skin out using coconut fruit, green tea and royal jelly extract, among others. I like putting my sheet masks in the refrigerator to cool my skin down this summer.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

When you think of a luxury product, what kinds of ingredients do you think of? Roses? I totally think of roses and this unconventional product from KAHINA GIVING BEAUTY is all about it. It’s called Moroccan Rose Beldi Soap ($46/8.8oz @ net-a-porter.com) and contains just two ingredients: saponified olea europaea (olive) oil and rose damascene (rose) flower oil.

Now first, let’s discuss what Beldi soap is as I had to look it up myself. It’s a soap paste made from olive oil that has a light lather and is rich in vitamin E. The olive oil is saponified (this is what the process of soap making is called) and combined with rose oil and looks and feels like a gelified green goo. Beldi soap was made specially to be used in Turkish baths or Turkish steam rooms.

 *On a side note, when I was looking up what Beldi soap was, I saw quite a few tutorials on how to make Moroccan Savon Noir (Beldi) soap. Just google it!

You only need a quarter-sized amount so this 8.8oz jar should last you a while or it can also be used like a body mask for super moisturizing. All I kept thinking when I was typing this is what a unique gift this will make around holiday time, dontcha think?

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

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This is a sponsored post. All words are my own.

One trend I’ve seen take off lately is spot masking for the face. This has risen in popularity because not all skin on the face should be treated the same (hello T-zone!?), and that can be said about the skin on the body. I mean, my knees and elbows are certainly not as smooth as the skin on my shins or forearms. So thankfully there are products that can gussy up those areas, so to speak! All AmLactin products contain alpha-hydroxy therapy, which helps to exfoliate dead skin cells, while hydrating the area with emollients, which seems like what every cream out there should do, right?

So in looking at the different parts of my body, I recently realized that I didn’t own a foot cream! Can you imagine - 101 products in the beauty closet and no foot cream? So I was glad that they sent me the foot cream to try out for this post. It contains their patented ULTRAPLEX, which exfoliates and hydrates to prevent cracks (eww!) and after using it before going to bed every night for just one week, I can happily say that I’m back in strappy heels. Dry cracked heels make me shutter so I’m glad I discovered this one. You can get this @ Amazon.com.

Last year I discovered that I had Keratosis Pilaris on the backs of my arms. Also called chicken skin bumps, it’s a form of eczema. I immediately sought out something to relieve it. While they don’t hurt or itch, they are just kind of unsightly and don’t feel good under the tips of my fingers when I run my hands over my skin.

I had been using an expensive cream prescribed by my dermatologist and then I read about AmLactin’s Moisturizing Body Lotion. I’ve been using it exclusively for the past year and have never looked back! It contains 12% lactic acid, which boosts the skins own renewal process. While there is no cure for KP, this one keeps the chicken bumps at bay, which is good enough for me. Hello tank top in public! And I love that I can pick it up @ Amazon.com.

Be sure to keep up with AmLactin on their website http://amlactin.com/ and like them on their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/AmLactin 

Would you like to try AmLactin Skin Care for FREE? Follow these steps to enter my Soft Skin Giveaway:

1. Visit amlactin.com and look at each of their products
2. In the comments section below, tell me about your dry skin problem areas AND provide a link to the product you’d most like to try by August 26, 2016 to enter

On August 26, 2016, I will randomly pick 1 commenter to win $100 worth of AmLactin products!

*Giveaway is open to United States residents only. Product and shipping provided by AmLactin Skin Care.

Uncover smooth, radiant skin with AmLactin Alpha-Hydroxy Skin Care. Its unique exfoliating and hydrating alpha-hydroxy therapy gently removes dead skin cells to reveal soft, hydrated skin. It’s the difference between skin care and skin therapy. AmLactin moisturizers are available on Amazon.com and at your local Target, CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Walmart and Rite Aid.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of AmLactin Skin Care. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mine came in this cute pouch with pins on it!

I’m not sure how I feel about shimmery/glittery eye shadows these days. I’ve been so all about mattes that I almost forgot they existed! So when the new IT COSMETICS ‘Superhero’ Eye Transforming Anti-Aging Super Palette ($42 @ qvc.com) was sent my way by their PR team, I thought, “ok, time to move out of the mattes!”

This uniquely shaped palette is quite fun in the packaging department and serious about the product inside. Each superhero-inspired shade was developed with plastic surgeons (not sure which one/s) and infuses anti-aging properties inside. Hmmm, not sure if I’m applying enough of it on my lids to reap that benefit, am I? Well it sounds fancy.

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1. MUA MAKEUP ACADEMY Double Ended Foundation & Concealer Brush ($14 @ cvs.com) – Every once in a while a brush comes along that just becomes a staple in your collection, and that’s this one. Both sides of this brush can be used to apply both creams and liquids and the size of each head, especially the foundation size, is just perfect! This brand is on a roll for me lately.

2. CERAVE Moisturizing Cream with Pump ($17.99/16oz @ walgreens.com) – you ever just want a super basic cream with no strong perfume or scent? Yup, this one is it and it contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid. And how convenient is this pump? Love it.

3. PANTENE Air Spray Alcohol Free Hairspray ($5.49/7oz @ walgreens.com) – this one is starting to rival this one as one of my favorites. I mean, it is for the summer, for sure though. It acts sort of the same in that it gives great hold yet it’s brushable. And this one is alcohol-free.

4. COVERGIRL Lash Blast Plumpify Mascara ($11.99 @ target.com) – I’m tough on mascara and pass on probably 80% of the ones I try. This one, however, gets some high marks from me as it really does plump-ify each lash.

5. MAYBELLINE Super Stay 24 Lip Color in Very Cranberry ($10.49 @ maybelline.com, target.com) – remember in this post how I mentioned how all colors are not created equal, even when they are in the same collection? Yup, that is the case here. I can’t stop wearing this shade of rosy rose. Great for a summer day!

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

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I’ve speculated a lot over the past few years and was just about to add the one to elf to my Holy Grail list when I saw this one had just come out and whoa, are they similar. I had been using the Remover Pencil from Shu Uemura for years until I discovered the ELF one. The Shu stick is kinda greasy and smeared makeup while removing it while the oil-free one from ELF was able to take off makeup mistakes easily and without messing up the rest of my makeup.

So welcome to the ring - MUA MAKEUP ACADEMY Makeup Correcting Pen ($8 @ muapro.com) and ELF COSMETICS Makeup Remover Pen ($3 @ ulta.com) to a showdown and the best one goes into my Holy Grail list!

Each of these has an air-tight cap to keep the removable fiber tip from drying out. Both are oil-free and don’t mess up makeup when removing a mistake. MUA one’s first ingredient is mineral oil (boo!) but it also comes with 3 new tips. No scent to either one.

Overall, these both seem to work really well at removing makeup without messing up your looks. One thing I don’t like about either of these is that the tips actually keep the makeup on them after removing it from your skin. So I keep a paper towel on my makeup table so I can wipe the tip before/after using it. There doesn’t seem to be any other way around that; it’s just part of the way these pens work.

So with all the other traits so close in comparison, the only thing working against the MUA one is the price, but the ELF one doesn’t come with 3 new tips, so I’m going with the one from MUA.

Welcome to my Holy Grail list of products MUA MAKEUP ACADEMY Makeup Correcting Pen!

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

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