Do you have a particular feature that your eye gravitates towards in photos? For me, it’s my neck. As I get older, I see it’s been losing its firmness. IT COSMETICS calls their Confidence In A Neck Cream shapewear for your neck. What a great description and exactly what that area needs.

I’m lucky that I’ve already trained myself to treat my neck and décolletage when cleansing, applying SPF, moisturizer and even when it comes to exfoliating. So products made just for that area are always on my list to hear about.

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Leave it to It Cosmetics to come out with my staple foundation. IT COSMETICS Confidence In A Foundation ($32/1oz @ itcosmetics.com, sephora.com, ) keeps the confidence going and they claim up to 24-hours. 24 hours? I’m not sure how they test that trait out. I mean, do they actually have test subjects wear the foundation for up to 24-hours to see how it wears? And when do they consider the time is up on wear-time? All things that make you go hmmmm…

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Lately, I’ve been watching quite a few videos by Australian YouTuber, Schellea Fowlwer, on her fabulous50 channel. She focuses on tips and tricks of applying makeup for those who are older. I’m not 50 yet but I have hooded lids and lines around my lips, and she shares tips on how to work with these aspects. There’s almost nothing I love to watch more on YouTube, and she just gives me the most useful tips and they are easy to replicate.

Her '5 Biggest Makeup Mistakes On Mature Eyes Tutorial Over 50 by Fabulous50s' was my introduction to her and I've referred back to it a few times. Since gravity is already working against you to drag the outside corners of your eyes down, her whole point of this video is that you should always look for ways to bring the eyes up in that area and not down. I was doing a few of her "don'ts" so it was nice to see what they were and why some are not flattering. 

Pull away tips:

• A thick line of liner on the mobile lid will make your eyes appear smaller. Tighlining the top lid is better.
• Black liner on the bottom water liner can make eyes look more almond shaped.
• Don’t follow nature when applying shadow! Don’t bring the shadow all the way down on the outside.
• Neutral or nude eyeliner pencil can open up the eye look.
• Eye primer is a must!
• Only apply a highlighter in the middle just under the brow, not all the way across.

Since I’m loving the new PIXI BEAUTY Eye Reflections Shadow Palette in Natural Beauty ($24 @ pixibeauty.com) I thought I’d try it out using some of her tips. The palette has both mattes and shimmers in it so this sole one can be used to create a whole look.

Click the link to see how I did it and what I used!

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One of my all-time favorite foundations is from the IT COSMETICS brand and it’s their Bye Bye Foundation in Medium. It just melts into my skin and makes my skin look like my skin but better. So as you can imagine, it was hard to move over to testing out their new Your Skin But Better CC+ Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40 ($38/1.08oz @ itcosmetics.com, sephora.com).

Now there are three different versions – the regular one for a natural finish, the CC+ Illumination for a radiant finish and now this matte one.

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Leave it to IT COSMETICS to come out with a first. This Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer SPF 50+ ($39.50/1oz @ itcosmetics.com, ulta.com) is a full coverage MOISTURRRIIIZZZEEERR. Yes, you read that correctly. So why is this a moisturizer and not a foundation? I really had to read up on this one because it does a lot so I’m going to take it line by line in the press release.

"Bye Bye Foundation is your life-changing full coverage moisturizer that gives you the power to say “bye bye” to traditional foundation – and hello to your most beautiful skin."

Ok.

"Developed with plastic surgeons, this revolutionary innovation is your ultimate problem-solver, created to cover and improve the look of skin concerns including redness, pores, dark spots, breakouts, lines and wrinkles – all while protecting your skin with SPF 50+ broad-spectrum physical sunscreen. You won’t have to wear foundation again!"

Sounds like most releases I read. Good to note that the sunscreen in this is a physical one, which I’m assuming is zinc. Now here is where it gets interesting…

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It seems micellar water is my thing these days. I mean, what’s not to like? And I use them almost every day in the form of a water, a wipe or on a pre-moistened pad. The latest on the scene is  IT COSMETICS Miracle Water ($38 @ itcosmetics.com) and when they sent it to me to try, the first thing I thought was, “great, another micellar water. Haven’t we seen them all by now?” Well apparently not. This one contains a little sumthin’ extra.

The addition is called their Secret Sauce Fermented Complex (sounds like a cooking ingredient!). It’s a combo of 7 penetration-enhancing fermented ingredients, which help anything you apply afterwards on the skin really absorb deeply.

So apply that super pricey serum or layer on that moisturizer and primer but just make sure you swipe on this first to really help it absorb into the skin nicely.

And this one doesn’t shy away from nourishing skin ingredients like anti-aging peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, chamomile and green tea, as well as their Drops of Light Technology Concentrate and diamond powder. So if you just give your skin a swipe of this and go, those last two ingredients will give your skin a little boost.

And the bottle is a huge 8.5oz!

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

The temps are officially starting to warm up so the timing of these is great as I’ve had the sun-kissed look on my mind and so does the rest of the beauty world, it seems.

It Cosmetics Confidence In Your Glow

IT COSMETICS Confidence In Your Glow ($32 @ itcosmetics.com, ulta.com) – What It Is: Get the look of an instant all-over vitality-filled glow, plus a boost of brightening and radiant warmth, in one simple step! From the sensorial experience of the fresh orange scent to the powerful vitamin C-infused radiance-boosting and brightening formula, Confidence in Your Glow™ transforms the look of your complexion with high-performance, anti-aging ingredients and talc-free, ultra-luxe pigments. Combined with proprietary Drops of Light Technology™, your skin will feel instantly softer and smoother with a younger, airbrushed appearance! Developed with plastic surgeons and perfect for all skin types and tones, this compact is truly your one-step wonder for your most beautiful-looking skin.

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IT seems like IT COSMETICS is just everywhere these days, doesn’t it? I’ve been writing about them since 2008 and they were acquired by L’Oreal last year, so hopefully they were continue to put out innovative products in the market. Sometimes after a brand gets picked up the quality can fall by the wayside. So fingers crossed!

The latest release that has my attention is their Confidence in a Compact with SPF 50+ ($38/18g @ itcosmetics.com, ulta.com).

What It Is: Developed with plastic surgeons, Confidence in a Compact is your first-ever solid serum foundation—and delivers all the skincare benefits of the best-selling Confidence in a Cream, plus full coverage and SPF 50+ physical sunscreen, in one simple step! The groundbreaking solid serum technology combined with anti-aging hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, squalane, antioxidants and a super ceramide cream truly transform your complexion. Available in Fair, Light, Medium, Medium Tan, Tan, Rich and Deep.

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I think the heavy rain in LA is done for the season, which is great because I'm so ready for Spring. And here are a few products I’ve got on my radar that are getting me ready for the upcoming season. Hello sandals!

1. IT COSMETICS Anti-Aging Armour ($38/1oz @ itcosmetics.com) – I always make sure I have a great SPF at the beginning of each new season. This one from IT contains a SPF 50, peptides, and hyaluronic acid as well as that optically blurring technology that pretty much makes any imperfections disappear while you’re wearing it.

2. SOL DE JANEIRO Bum Bum Cream ($57/8.1oz, $25/2.5oz @ sephora.com) – what is it about this product? Is it the name? Is it the cool container? Kinda both actually and more. Pronounced (boom-boom), this luxe cream contains cupuaçu butter, acai, coconut oil and the Amazonian plant guarana, which is a major player in the caffeine department. All of these combined make for skin that’s not only taut but super smooth. And the scent of this one is soo inviting! I go in and out of craving it. I know, odd!

3. WOOSH BEAUTY Spin-On Lip Gloss ($19 @ wooshbeauty.com) – I’ve decided to revisit lip gloss again this season as I’ve been pretty distant from it and I’m starting with this one. Wow. This one really performs when it comes to the application brush. It rolls as you roll it over lips with the gloss. This is a first! Shown here in Pink Natural. 

4. SKINDINAVIA Post-Makeup Recovery Spray ($26/4oz, $36/8oz @ skindinavia.com) – now here’s a brand new category! A product you apply after taking makeup off, which applies nutrients like mineral zinc and willow bark, which can help with breakouts. Just spray on within 5 minutes of removing makeup to reap the benefits.

5. TRUE BRIT LONDON Nail Polish in Heirloom (£12.50 @ truebritlondon.co.uk) – this metallic rose gold shade from this new brand is so fitting right now! True Brit London is only available for purchase on their UK site right now but I’m sure it will expand. 

6. HELIOCARE Dietary Supplement Sun Protection Pills ($30/60 pills @ dermstore.com) – why not fight UVA/UVB rays from the inside out? Major technology is inside these pills will not only protect it from the sun but also supply it with antioxidants. Great for all skin types!

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

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Cleansing Balms – This is one category that has exploded, which, I’m glad to see it! I consider the cleansing balm like a better-for-your-skin cold cream. What started with this from Cailyn Cosmetics, went to this face-off of the one from Clinique and Cailyn to now with Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm ($38/2.82oz @ itcosmetics.com, qvc.com) from IT COSMETICS and Nourishing Cleansing Balm ($20/3.04oz @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) from PIXI BEAUTY’s Skintreats line.

These balms are superior at taking the whole day off, makeup and all, in a gentle and quick way.

Are you interested in trying a balm to take off your makeup at the end of the day? Do tell in the comments!

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

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