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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This feature really helped me in the organization department! Finally, all my liquid eyeliners are together in one container. It was pretty hard coming up with only 5 favorites out of all of them but I was able to. See any you might try? #shopmystash

TARTE Deluxe Tartiest Dream Team Liner Trio in Burgundy - $17 @ tartecosmetics.com (this liner is part of the trio).

NYX COSMETICS Colored Felt Tip Liner in Cobalt Blue $10 @ nyxcosmetics.com.

NYX COSMETICS Vivid Brights Liquid Liner in Vivid Fire $7 @ nyxcosmetics.com.

STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Jade - $22 @ stilacosmetics.com, sephora.com, dermstore.com.

CHELLA Eyeliner Pen in Purple - $21 @ chella.com.

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I really love these creamy liquid-to-powder glittery metallic shadows the brands have been coming out with lately. See here and here. The texture is stunning and they are really pigmented. These differ from just a straight glitter in that the glitter is suspended in a long lasting cream. Some are the same color of the glitter and some are not.

The latest in on the craze is from TARTE COSMETICS and their Mermaid Shine Metallic Seaglass Eyeshadow Set ($28 @ tartecosmtics.com).

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Wow are these pigments messy! But oh so worth the mess!

What it is: TARTE Chrome Paint Shadow Pots - Your secret to a high-gleam gaze & the richest, most vibrant eyeshadow you’ve ever seen – the mirror-effect loose pigment melts instantly & stays put for hours. Choose from 9 shades for $22 @ tartecosmetics.com, sephora.com, ulta.com.

My take: these are meant to be applied with your fingers (yeah)! I tried them with a brush and nope, fingers work best as your skin warms up the formula to make it easy to spread. The powders are super creamy and blend really well.

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It’s a battle of the brushes with two from TARTE!

In the left corner it’s the Full Coverage Companion Foundation Paddle ($28 @ tartecosmetics.com)

What it is: a flat “brush” with a silicone applicator, resulting in zero product waste for fuller coverage that looks natural.

In the right corner is Paddle to Perfection Foundation Brush ($28 @ tartecosmetics.com, ulta.com)

What it is: a cruelty-free & vegan paddle foundation brush with supersoft, densely-packed bristles.

I’m pretty used to the bristle brushes, as we all are, and these silicone sponges have been all over Instagram in the last year. I tried one a few months ago but not sure I really gave it a fair try, so I welcomed this challenge.

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Well here we are, another day, another liquid lipstick! And this is another version of the product but a little different. It’s from TARTE and it’s the Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint ($20 @ dermstore.com). I reviewed the first round of them here so how are these different from the others? One difference is that these have a full dry down.

Tartiest Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint

What else? Click the link to find out!

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I think I’ve been around the liquid lipstick block a few times now and with the latest ones I’ve tried being on the indie side, I have some more observations. It seems that just about every brand is coming out with their own version these days, which is great, but not so great when you kinda know what formula works for you, and you don’t get it when you open the tube. If you’re on the liquid lipstick (will abbreviate to LL) bandwagon, do you know which form you like best? I think I do, now that I’ve tried quite a few different brands:

Chanel, Wet N Wild, Tarte, Buxom (part of BareMinerals), ColourPop, Motives, Cailyn Cosmetics, L’Oreal, Make Up For Ever, Stila, Laura Mercier, Merle Norman, NARS, Lime Crime, Ofra Cosmetics, Fyinnae, Maybelline, Ciate London, L'Oreal, Napoleon Perdis, Houglass Cosmetics, CoverGirl, LipSense by SeneGence, Giorgio Armani, Sephora, Kat Von D, MAC, Makeup Monster, LA Splash Cosmetics, Caked, Beauty Bakerie.

Brands on my list to try: The new ones from Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills (I know, I know, I'm like the only one on the planet but I've read mixed reviews), Jeffree Star, Milani (drugstores are always out of the Amore Mattes!), Lonely Planet.

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All face mists are not created equal, which is what I thought for many years. I go through a few face mists each summer. They’re so totable and great for a quick refresh on the go. Here are two I love.

$$$ – TARTE COSMETICS Marine Boosting 4-in-1 Mist ($25/2.5oz @ tartecosmetics.com and sephora.com) – you’ll love this multi-tasker this season! It’s a face primer, makeup setting spray, hydrating mist and skin refresher. This one also contains their Rainforest of the Sea antioxidant complex to help nourish the skin. Yaaas!

$ – LA ROCHE-POSAY Thermal Spring Water Essential ($12.99/5.2oz @ target.com) – this thermal water is a super fine mist of antioxidant-rich spring water. This one feels so good on the skin when it's super hot so I have one of these cans tucked in a few different places.

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

As we come to the close of April, I’ve been frantically testing out products I think are worthy of getting the favorite of the month tag. Here are a few I recommend. 

1. FRESH Sugar Sport Treatment Sunscreen SPF 30 ($25 @ fresh.com, sephora.com) – Since it’s in a stick form, you can slide it in your purse and never worry about spillage. Now there’s no excuse for not wearing SPF, right?

2. IT COSMETICS Heavenly Luxe You Sculpted! #18 Contour & Highlight Brush ($34.50 @ itcosmetics.com) - So why don’t I have a brush like this in my collection? I didn’t realize how much I needed one in this shape until I saw this one! Isn’t that always the case? Love this one for (trying) to sculpt my cheeks and to brush under the jaw line. 

3. KISS USA Ruby Kisses Matte Lipstick in Red Mangrove ($2.99 @ kissusa.com) – Wait, did you even know this brand made anything beside lashes and fake nails? I didn’t! I saw a few YouTube videos raving about their matte lipsticks so I had to try them and they are really all that. If you like a little moisture with your matte lippies then these are for you and how about that price?? I picked mine up at my local beauty supply store.

4. BENEFIT COSMETICS Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter ($26 @ benefitcosmetics.com) – This is such a nice matte pinky nude highlighter that can be use anywhere on the face. Lately it’s been ruling the tops of my cheeks.

5. CLINIQUE Pep-Start Eye Cream ($26.50 @ clinique.com and sephora.com) – I’ve never needed an eye cream more than in the last few months for some reason. #aging. This one is light on the skin and on the purse strings. It hydrates, depuffs and really seems to wake me up.

6. ELIE SAAB ‘Le Parfum Rose Couture’ Eau de Toilette ($80/1.6oz, $108/3oz only @ nordstrom.com) – Anything rose always welcomes springtime for me and I’ve worn this one non-stop since I got it. Orange flower, jasmine, rose nectar, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, mandarin tree blossom, gardenia and warm honey rose. Every note says feminine.

7. TARTE COSMETICS Rainforest of the Sea Wipeout Color-Correcting Palette ($45 @ dermstore.com, sephora.com) – You don’t need to suffer from any kind of discolorations on your skin anymore! Color-correcting is all the rage for a reason. It works! This one has 6 creams shades to get your skin on point.

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

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I’ve just been living in a liquid lipstick vortex for the past few months but trying out these TARTE COSMETICS Drench Lip Splash Lipsticks ($22/2.4g @ tartecosmetics.com and sephora.com) really brought me down to earth, and nicely I might add. They’re part of the Rainforest of the Sea Collection, which recently came out.

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