Physicians Formula "Argan Wear" Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil BB Cream in "Light/Medium"

Another day another post! If you all are anything like me you hate wearing makeup all over your face almost as much as you hate the acne and scars/spots you are trying to cover up with it. (It's cool if you love foundation too, but ughhhhhh it takes so long to put on properly!)

I found this lovely BB cream from Physicians Formula at Ulta and decided to try it out because hey- why not? It's cruelty free and I have nothing else to wear on my face.

Image from the Physicians Formula website.

My first impression: I tried this first on my hand and then my neck before my face and it matches my skin-tone perfectly. I am an olive-pale skin tone. I'm not like paper but I am definitely pale. It went on smooth with a concealer brush and I simply used a beauty blender after the fact to give it more of an even appearance and tone down the shine associated with BB cremes. 

This BB cream is not too heavy either and covers with a very little amount needed. I tend to use a green concealer underneath this to cover my redness and you wouldn't even know there was green there at all. I almost don't even have to cover up the red spots anyways because this is so good at covering. 

I also used this on my friend who is at least 2-3 shades lighter than me (skin-tone wise) and it matched her perfectly as well. So I'm almost completely convinced this is the "perfect colour" (at least for Caucasian people). I did contact them today inquiring about why there are only two shades available on their website (light and light/medium). Hopefully I will get a response soon! I would love this BB creme to be available for all skin-tones. 

The way I use this product mainly- besides simply using it alone, is I tend to mix different products to give the exact look for what I would like for the day. Sometimes I will mix this BB creme with a colour-correcting primer, another SPF moisturizing product, and perhaps a little bit of creme highlight to give myself a natural "full-not full coverage" look with a little hint of dewy. Obviously I've had a lot of time to play with these mixes and everyone who is interested in trying just needs to find their way with it too! Leave a comment if you would like some recommendations for products that are good to mix with this BB creme!

Overall I would say this is a product that is totally worth trying out. It is a good price- it can be found in drugstores, department stores, as well as Ulta, or online. It's a great price ($7-$13) for the quality as well as the amount you receive (you only need a little to cover a lot!).

Do you have this product? Love it? Hate it? Leave a comment with your thoughts, recommendations and opinions! Thanks so much for reading! -Emma

NYX Pump It Up Lip Plumper in "Liv"

So I recently got the TooFaced "Lip Injections" lip-plumper ($22) and since it worked so well I wanted to try and see if I could find a dupe for it at the same time for my lovely readers who need something a little cheaper!
While I was on the Ulta website browsing around for good priced lip plumpers I found the NYX "Pump It Up" lip plumper in "Liv" (it's the clear colour). This one was significantly cheaper ($6) and I thought "why not?". 

NYX "Pump It Up" Lip Plumper in "Liv"
Image source: here.

I was super hopeful but ready for it to obviously work like a $6 lip plumper is expected to work. "Okay-ish". I moisturized my lips and then used a lip exfoliator over that to ensure I was applying this product directly onto my lips and then wiped them off with a clean washcloth. Once my lips were completely dry, I applied a thin coat of the NYX "Pump It Up" lip plumper and waited. Almost immediately I had a tingly-cold sensation but it was not intense by any means and it certainly did not sting, hurt, or burn. It was in fact so mild I was worried it was not working AT ALL. 

My Photo of "Pump It Up" by NYX

Once I had waited a minute or two I took a look in the mirror and noticed first off that my lips had not changed colour whatsoever. This was a bit of a concern because when using "Lip Injections" by TooFaced I noticed my lips were much more pinkish and red after waiting a minute or so. 
Second thing I noticed was a plus however, and that was that my lips were very glossy and hydrated. 
Third I noticed was that my lips had changed in size slightly. There was a change in size but it wasn't drastic by any means. 

NYX "Pump It Up" in "Liv" Before and After on my lips.

"Pump It Up" on my arm.

In conclusion if you are looking for a lip plumper to make your lips super noticeably different in size, this is not the one for you. I actually do like this product for gloss and hydration use, but I don't think I would ever apply it before lipstick application to give myself the appearance of fuller lips. It's definitely something worth trying as different formulas work differently on different people (haha!) but for me, it didn't impress me a whole lot as a plumper. 

Do you love this product? Do you hate it? Have any other suggestions you would like me to try? I am always game! Let me know in the comments!  Thanks so much for reading! -Emma

Too Faced Lip Injections Lip Plumper.

So I finally broke down after seeing so many reviews of Too Faced "Lip Injections" lip plumper. I am already a big fan of Too Faced due to their cruelty free standing and the occasional use of my mom's country palette by them. 

I have never used a lip-plumper before in my life so I had no idea what to expect or what I was walking into. I was lucky there wasn't really any wait for this product because I had ordered it before vacation so when I returned it was waiting right there for me! I ordered mine from the Ulta website but you can also order from the Too Faced website itself!

Image source: TooFaced website.

So first I will describe my use of it and how I applied it:
I moisturized my lips with a regular lip balm for about 10 minutes before hand and then used a lip exfoliator. This way I was ensuring the lip plumper was being applied straight to my lips and not any dead skin, left over lipstick, or lip balm. Then I simply applied a thin coat on my top and bottom lips and waited.

A picture of mine that I took! ☺

The Feeling: 
Initially I didn't feel anything but about 30 seconds in I began to feel a sort of tingly-burning sensation. It was a lot like eating a hot pepper and then deciding to rub it all over your lips. Thankfully it wasn't so unbearable that I had to wipe it off. In all honesty it was much more of an annoyance than anything else. After about a minute or so this burner subsided and I was left with glossy, red, but plumped lips.

"Lip Injections" just on my arm.

Overall Reaction: Yes! It works really well. I am actually quite interested in trying the "Lip Injections Extreme". Of course if I do try it out I will update this blog as well and add a post about it, haha. My lips weren't crazy large after using this product but they were noticeably different. Once I wiped it off and applied my lipstick there was a clear difference between my natural lips and my "plumped" lips. 

Wow look! It's me! ☺

I would totally recommend this product if you are curious about trying it. It worked well for me and I've heard I am not the only one that this product works well for. I can also use it as a lip gloss as well if I don't feel like applying lipstick due to the fact it gives my lips a reddish tint (from the active ingredients that plump)

As always feel free to leave a comment telling me if you love/hate Too Faced "Lip Injections", any questions or comments, and of course any recommendations for me! Thanks so much! -Emma