Maybelline Fit Me! Dewy + Smooth Foundation

Sometime last fall I decided to remove foundation from my daily make-up routine. I was convinced that the formula I’d been using for 5+ years was drying out my skin and making me break-out. Whether that was true or not, I decided to give my skin a break to see if it would clear up. For those of you who are curious, it did. But after five years of using a matte foundation 7 days a week, I’m sure my skin was grateful for some breathing room. Recently though, I’ve been reading a lot of beauty blogs and was inspired to give a different foundation a spin. Maybe foundations were like shampoos? It’s good to change them up from time to time? There had to be a formula out there that would leave my skin looking fresh. My other criteria were that I wanted to use a liquid foundation (rather than the mousse I’d been using), and I didn’t want a matte finish like my old foundation.

A couple months back I did a post on my quest for a new concealer and landed Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer. Although I said that it didn’t completely hide my heinous dark circles, I was pretty pleased with the results anyway—it brightened up my face and blended well. It’s since worked its way into my daily make-up rotation. When I saw that there were foundations in the same Fit Me! line, I figured that was as good a place as any to start my hunt for a new foundation. It was the best $7.99 I’ve spent recently.

I am honestly in love with Maybelline Fit Me! Dewy + Smooth foundation. It met all of my criteria (liquid foundation, a natural finish, and hasn’t caused any break outs) and then some. The formula also contains SPF 18 (fair skin needs love) and has no wax or oils that could clog my pores.

The foundation is very easy to blend, even for a liquid foundation novice like myself. Don’t laugh but this is the first time I’ve attempted to use a liquid foundation. I’ve been using a foundation brush to apply it and have been happy with the results. It’s a translucent base but seems pretty buildable to me, should you need a bit more coverage.

I didn’t know that a foundation could feel so light and airy, and that’s just one of the many differences between the Fit Me! foundation and my old one (which is now in a landfill somewhere, I imagine). You put this foundation on and can forget about because it looks and feels that natural. Trust me friends, “dewy” is the perfect word to describe how your skin feel while wearing it. With the matte finish foundations I always felt a bit painted on, and I had this image in my head that I was walking around with a powdered face à la Marie Antoinette. I just didn’t know there was an alternative and thought that everyone secretly felt that way. This formula is practically weightless. And the staying power is amazing too. I wore it in 90 degree weather this past week and there was zero make-up meltdown. That is a true test in my opinion.

Should you find yourself in the market for a foundation anytime soon, I’d suggest giving the Fit Me! line a try. There are the Dewy + Smooth ones and Matte + Poreless varieties to choose from (16 shades each). I went for the #125, Nude Beige, since my face tends to be paler than the rest of me. If you haven’t already figured it out this is a rave review for Maybelline. 

*This post is not in collaboration with Maybelline, and the opinions are my own.

What's In My Bag? Work Edition

You know how some people collect shoes? Well, I might love me a pair of gorgeous pumps or badass boots, but I can’t say no to a new handbag. I love my burgundy Audrey Brooke cross-body bag from my March Monthly Favorites, but the color wasn’t exactly shouting “spring!” to me, so I thought it was time to switch bags. And while I was at it, I figured I’d do a “What’s in My Bag” post.

I’m a sucker for a good WIMB post for some reason. Are any of you? It seems a bit voyeuristic, to be honest, but it gives you an intimate portrait of the blogger who’s willing to spill their guts—or the contents of their bag—onto the internet. So, without further ado, here is my What’s in My Bag Work Edition post!

The Bag

I work full-time, so during the week I go for utilitarian when it comes to choosing a bag. It needs to be able to fit all the usual suspects (wallet, make-up, phone, etc.) while also being able to hold my lunch and whatever I might need to carry to and from work.

I fell in love with this London Fog satchel when I spotted it in DSW last spring. I loved the vintage shape of it and the color, which just seemed so cheerful. I’m honestly not a huge fan of pastels, but I couldn’t resist this bag’s charms! The pink with gold accents was just too perfect. I believe it cost me around $70 last year (but don’t quote me on that), and I used it well into the summer before reluctantly switching bags. The bag itself is pretty sturdy and it can hold a lot, surprisingly, so it met all my work needs.

The Contents

Reading Material – Since I love to read and work in publishing, I have a lot of reading material in my bag. I always have at least one paperback (currently The Secret History) that I read on the train as well as my Kindle Fire HDX. I use the Kindle to read manuscripts for work, but I also upload the New York Times to read in the morning since I’m a news and media junkie. I always keep a small notepad in my bag too, which I use to jot down blog posts and whatever creative writing I might be doing on the side. And to be very old-fashioned, I keep a train schedule in my bag even though I have the Train Time App on my phone…

Beauty Essentials – I kind of suck when it comes to remembering to freshen my make-up during the day, but I always keep a lipstick or two in my bag. My daily look doesn’t usually include lipstick, but slicking some color onto my lips is my way of switching from a day to night look if I’m going out after work. I’m currently carrying Revlon’s Cherry Tart Colorburst Lip Butter and Maybelline’s Pinkalicious. I also carry a few loose hairpins or hair claws. This time of year, I keep a hand moisturizer in my bag, like Jergen’s Ultra Healing, to help repair the damage winter has done to my poor dehydrated skin. And lastly, I have my trusty sunglasses! These Miu Miu shades are my pride and joy. Their retail value is a couple hundred dollars, but I snagged them for $40 last summer. I absolutely adore them! The details on the side get tons of compliments, and I feel so confident (kind of like a movie star) when I’m wearing them.

Bits & Bobs – Of course I always have my iPhone 5 in my bag along with a pen (or 5…) to write things down in my notepads. It probably goes without saying, too, that I keep my wallet and my monthly train ticket in my bag as well. My wallet, which I bought in a market in Florence last summer, is another of my pride and joys. It’s the softest leather I have ever felt, even if it is a bit boring as far as design goes.

So what are some of your bag essentials? Do you have anything in there that is completely utilitarian?

Quest for the Perfect Concealer

One of my goals this month is to freshen up my make-up bag, and first up is my quest for the perfect concealer!

I am afflicted with dark circles under my eyes (thanks Daddy). Is anyone else? No matter how much sleep I get, there will always be these dark somewhat purplish circles under my eyes. Ricky Raccoon much? I hate them with a fiery passion, and I’m pretty self-conscious over them too. I know—rationally—that the dark circles probably look a million times worse to me than they do to anyone else. But maybe not? In any case, with the exception of a couple of naughty blemishes that crop up around that time of the month, I use concealer primarily to cover up my dark circles.

I’ve been using Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer for years now, but when I finished my last tube, I thought I’d give another product a try. I’d seen a lot about Maybelline Fit Me Concealer on some beauty blogs I follow (even heard it called a drugstore dupe for NARS Creamy Concealer), so I figured I’d give it a go.

Since I'm pretty pale (ghostly according to my tanned family), I went with the fair shade which also had a slight pinkish tint to it. The fact that I haven't gotten sun all winter doesn't help matters. I do really like the formula and found it super easy to blend with my fingertip, and it didn’t feel heavy on my skin either.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer did a great job at covering up blemishes and redness but was maybe not quite opaque enough to completely hide my dark circles--they're evil I tell you! It did brighten up that area of my face though, so I can’t complain too much (not to mention that it cost me under $6).  I’m not sure if my quest for the perfect concealer ends here, but I think I’ll keep playing around with this one until I’ve made my final decision.

What concealer do you use? Any tips for hiding those dark circles?