Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit (Light)

Price: $40.00

Store: Amazon

I just have to talk about Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Kit! This kit came out this February, and it has been highly raved about in beauty blogs and videos. I love highlighting and contouring, so I just had to get my hands on this!

With ABH, the formulas are both creamy and pigmented! I have the kit in Light, and I only use three shades in this palette: banana (top left), cream (bottom left), and cinnamon (bottom right).

1. After applying a light layer of foundation and concealing my under eye circles, I take banana under my eye, my nose bridge, and chin.
2. I use "cream" as a transition color in between my contour and highlight on my cheekbones and jawline.
3. After that, I use cinnamon and draw on my temples, sides of my nose, hollows of my cheeks, and jaw line.
4. After placing all my colors, I take my damp 100% Pure Makeup Blender and pat everything in place!
5. I set the highlighted areas with ABH's Contour Refill Powder in Banana (used with Real Techniques Setting Brush) and the contoured areas with NYX Blush in True Taupe (Bronzing Brush)

ABH Contour Refill Banana

NYX Blush True Taupe

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

Before I put on any makeup, I always use a face primer no matter where I'm going. It creates a smooth canvas on my face to help my makeup look even and stay on longer.

I tried this little guy on a whim after spotting it at Rite Aid for $6. I had run out of my HG Monistat Chafing Powder Gel and it wasn't in stock. Now that I've been testing this product for a couple weeks now, I'd like to share my experience!

The product itself is 1.5 oz and costs $6-7. This primer claims to be non-comedogenic and give you smooth and poreless looking skin. Even though it doesn't claim to increase the longevity of makeup, I found that my makeup lasted the whole day. It might be because of my setting powder, though.

The first thing I noticed when squeezing it out was the texture. It comes out thick, and spreads out thin easily. It is on the slippery side, which can be a hit or miss depending on your skin type. Lucky for me, it worked on my normal/dry skin. The product is also clear and had no smell, which I liked. I found that a little goes a long way and you need to let it set/dry out a little before proceeding with foundation. I only need the size of a nickel.

My only gripe is that if you put this on your eyes, it takes a little longer to set than I would prefer, so beware, or you run risk of your concealer sliding around. I usually wait 5 minutes total just to be safe. After that, all is right with the world!

Overall, I like that it keeps my face looking smooth for the whole day. I play tennis for several hours at a time throughout the week, and after looking in the mirror, my makeup looks about the same as before I played! I would say that my face looks like "baby skin" because of how smooth and even everything looks. As for the product claims, this doesn't "erase" pores, but this definitely makes them less noticeable!

Grade: A

Anastasia's "Create A Contour Palette"

Want to step up your contour game? Anastasia's ever-so-hyped Contour Palette is definitely on my radar! My face isn't complete without highlighting and contouring in some way. Yes, I do this every day and it's so necessary IMO!

I was on Anastasia Beverly Hill's web site (for the first time, actually) couldn't help but notice her highlighting and contour products. I currently use ABH's Brow Pencil in Blonde and love it, so I have high hopes for her other makeup products. I've seen this contour kit raved about pretty much all over the internet. I decided to make my own palette so that I could choose the shades I need most!

I read a testimonial on how the texture was better than Ben Nye's Banana Powder and as good as Bobbi Brown's Sheer Finish Powder in Pale Yellow. 

Each refill is priced at $14, but if you create a bundle with 6 pans, it only costs $40. This is such a steal, because without the bundle, buying 6 individual pans have a retail value of $84. Not only that, but orders over $25 gives you free shipping!

From left to right per row: banana (2 pans), champagne, mellow yellow, fawn, ash brown

There soooo many colors to choose from, so it can be overwhelming at first. Luckily, the web site provided a helpful color wheel to give me a better idea of what will suit my skin tone best. I am NC20-25, so I prefer warmer shades. After looking at the ingredients, these pans should photograph well (i.e. flash photos at night).

Here are the powders I chose for my kit in detail! I picked two of the banana shade because I feel like I will use that shade the most. The other shades are for an extra shimmery highlight, and for darkening and mixing my highlight and contour. I've been dyeing to get my hands on a yellowy setting powder for a while now. I want a powder I can use for both day and night so I think this would be perfect. I'm talking about you, HD powders.

Banana is for light and medium skin tones. This works for undertones that are neutral, warm, cool, begie, and olive. In other words, it is universally flattering. 

Champagne is a shimmery highlighting powder for light to medium skin tones. This works for undertones that are neutral, warm, and olive. This is also universally flattering.

Mellow Yellow is a highlighting powder for medium, tan, and dark. This is for warm and olive undertones. I wouldn't consider myself medium, but I want to test this color out to see if it corrects redness any different from banana. I might also mix this with banana if I need to darken and get a better shade match.

Fawn is a contour powder for light and medium skin tones. This is for neutral, cool, beige, and olive. I love using cool tones to contour. It gives a much more natural shadow.

Ash Brown is another contour powder. This seems like a darker version of fawn. I would mix this with fawn if I wanted to darken my contour.

100% Pure Skinare

I can't rave enough about my new skincare. Just about everything I use to take care of my skin is 100% Pure, except for my morning moisturizer. For the moment, I'm using Shiseido White Lucent Protective Cream SPF 15. In the past, I've used Shiseido White Lucent as well as Laneige Bright Renew, but didn't see effective results like I have with 100% Pure.

I look for products that brighten, moisturize, and keep my skin looking healthy overall.

I haven't been sponsored to make this post. All of these opinions are entirely my own and based on my experience.

That being said, let's get into it! 100% Pure brand's name speaks for itself, but here's a little bit about them from their website:

"Our corporate offices are run by 100% solar energy, our company is 100% electric and our pure, biodegradable formulas are packaged with post consumer recycled plastic, glass, soda cans, paper and printed with biodegradable non toxic vegetable ink. 100% Pure loves animals - we are completely cruelty free and charitable towards animal welfare."

Here are the products I have:

(From left to right:)

100% Pure Brightening Scrub + Mask, $23
This scrub is different from other scrubs I've used- it's creamy and makes my skin feel moist and soft. The jojoba beads aren't harsh on my somewhat sensitive skin and it leaves me looking more radiant. I don't use this scrub every day- I alternate with the facial cleanser and use it when I'm in need of exfoliation!

100% Pure Brightening Facial Cleanser, $21
I use this foaming cleanser day and night. My skin feels much cleaner afterwards, and just a little tight, but not overly so. I use this on my face and neck.

100% Pure Brightening  Tonique, $21
This is the most gentle toner I have ever used! It feels lightweight on the skin, much like water. I use a cotton ball and swipe it over my face and neck until I see no trace of dirt. My skin feels moisturized, smooth, and supple! My pores also appear to be nonexistent afterwards. Love love love this.

100% Pure Brightening Caffeine Eye Cream (0.3 oz), $11
I am obsessed with this smell of this. It smells like vanilla more than it does coffee, but you can feel the caffeine ingredient working on my eyes almost instantly. I dab just the smallest amount for each eye and let it absorb. It sinks in pretty quick and keeps my eyes looking soft. I have the smaller version of this (the regular-sized version is twice the price), but a little goes a long way and I see this lasting for a long time!

100% Pure Brightening Serum, $42
I was so excited when this product arrived! A little goes a long way with this product and it absorbs quickly as well. At first, I was curious about the smell, but then realized it's the organic products and lack of perfume.

100% Pure Brightening Night Balm, $35
Out of all the products, this product has my least favorite consistency. It's grainy, waxy, and takes forever to sink in to my skin. I look like a grease ball. I also kind of hate how it gets on my pillow if I'm not sleeping on my back. However, when I wake up my skin looks supple and radiant. This was my first time using a face balm, so it took me a little while to get used to. If this bran ever comes out with a brightening night moisturizer or cream, I will definitely buy it because I prefer that type of consistency more. However, I will still use this.

Because the products are made without preservatives, their shelf life is not very long. These products should be used up within 6 months, but I'm okay with that! I'm also not too crazy about the prices, but it is so worth it IMO. I purchase my products from their 100percentpure.com and Amazon. I recently discovered they have a store located in San Diego, so I definitely want to pay a visit in the future!

Whenever I buy from their website the product usually arrives 3-5 days after using regular shipping. It appears they ship from Oakland, California. I live in San Diego, so that's a reasonable amount of time. I am still expanding my ventures with 100% Pure and will remain a loyal customer. I have the makeup blender and facial cleansing brush on the way, and I'm currently eyeing their vanilla bean lotion (YUM!). 

Overall, my skin has been looking pretty good and I'm so happy about it. It helps my makeup apply better as well. One thing I'm trying to do is get lots of sleep, eat healthier and drink more water so that I can maximize having beautiful skin!

Current Wish List no. 2

(From left to right:)

1. The Balm Mary Lou Manizer: This product is said to be finely-milled, highly pigmented, and based on the swatches I saw, it is the perfect golden sheen. I can see myself wearing this every day.
2. Ben Nye Banana Powder: I want this to set my under eye concealer. I think a powder with a yellow tinge suits me best.
3. Red Cherry Lashes #16 I think the length and spacing is perfect. I realized that if I wear the wrong lash, it can make me look really off.
4. Real Techniques Setting Brush After reading about the uses of certain brushes, I think this fluffy design is perfect to dust the right amount face highlight. I might also use this to set under eye concealer.
5. BH Cosmetics Lilac Blush Duo Because I lack a true lilac blush in my life. Most pink blushes end up looking warm on me, and I want a cooler hue to match my cool pink lippies I love wearing! I'd mostly use this on a date night or if I'm going out.
6. 100% Pure Vanilla Bean Nourishing Body Cream I'm a sucker for vanilla scented products, as well as 100% Pure's products.

Product Fave: NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray

Lately, I've been all about having a healthy glow and fresh faced look. My makeup regime isn't truly complete until I've set it with my NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray (what a mouthful!). This has quickly become one of my favorites. I've never bought a setting spray, and I always told myself that if I did, I would end up with Urban Decay's All Night Spray. Unfortunately, its somewhat steep price has prevented me from lunging towards it, so after doing some heavy researching I stumbled upon this! I considered another drugstore contender (ELF Setting Spray), but read super mixed reviews about it, and shied away from it. Yup, I'm quite the skeptic when it comes to beauty products! But hey, that might be a good thing.

Anyway, I am so glad I decided on this because I love it so much. I can't believe I waited so long to try this! I always use powder to set my makeup (my contour is also powder), so you can imagine I my face ended up matte and flat! Even after adding some gleam and luminosity with my rather awesome face highlighters, the powder underneath subdues this.

After I've applied all of my face makeup (primer, concealer, contour, bronzer, highlighter), I spritz this evenly on my face and neck (although the face is the primary focus). I make sure this dries a little before I apply eye makeup because if you spray it while you have your mascara on, for example, the mascara will start to run! Not cute. I made that mistake the first time I used this, but I love the method I use now. At first, your face looks like your sprayed it with water, but your makeup or skin absorbs this soon after and voila, your makeup looks fresh, dewy, healthy, and not cakey at all. This also helped keep my makeup in place for a good amount of the day, so I am very pleased.

I am already a big fan of NYX, and this product just made me even more loyal to them.

NYX Dewy Finish Makeup Setting Spray retails for $8 at Target.com.

Face Of The Day

I realized I usually fall asleep while watching Netflix. I ended up watching the most random movie today called "N-Secure." It looked like a Tyler Perry movie, but it actually wasn't! I don't know how I ended up watching the whole thing, granted the awful script writing. Guess I'm just open-minded! I also tried to get a lot of extra credit out of the way, and part of it included the effects of pornography on the brain. Listening to that hour-long podcast brought me back to when I used to leisurely research the human condition and psyche. But anyway, it was REALLY eye-opening, I must say. I couldn't help but laugh to myself because of several people it reminded me of.

After homework, I hung out with my mom when she got home, and it was nice to have that time together since we hardly see each other with our opposite schedules! Love you mama. My hair (especially my bangs) looked super nappy because I didn't wash it, but I think that if I used dry shampoo it would have looked better. Good thing I restocked on Batiste Dry Shampoo today! It's true- I'm trying to be more careful about not washing my hair too much. Speaking of hair, I also bought a microfiber towel. It claims to reduce hair drying time, and I was immediately sold. Can't wait to test it out tomorrow!

I also tried out a different primer- Maybelline's Baby Skin Pore Eraser. Apparently, I had it in my basket of makeup and found it while rummaging around. It's a lot more thin and slippery than my HG Monistat Chafing Powder Gel, but still shares the silicon feel I like in a primer. I read mixed reviews saying that it blurred their pores, but was also slippery. Right now I can't really say if it made my makeup stay longer because I used the wrong brush to apply my foundation today. I will try this primer out for the next couple of days so that I can really test it out!

I think I made my eyes look big and wide with the help of NYX's Wonder Pencil in Light. It was my first time using this product and I can definitely see myself using this a lot! Lining the waterline definitely opened up my eyes- I was almost startled at the difference! I'm not sure if I would wear it like that for an every day look (maybe if I ever cosplay?), but putting it in my inner corners every day is a must. I also used it on my lips as reverse lip liner to make them appear smaller. I also like how pigmented and blendable this is. I think it's becoming apparent that my makeup is very much inspired by Asian trends. It just feels most natural and comfortable for me to do.

I'm super stoked about all my packages arriving (100% Pure Brightening Serum, 100% Pure Brightening Cleanser & Mask, Kojie San Soap, Pinky Paradise lenses). LOL. Catch me online shopping more than in stores. I've been a big fan of convenience lately.

MOTD Product List:

FACE

1. Tarte Amazonian 12hr Clay Foundation Fair Sand (I tried using a kabuki brush and learned that it didn't give me as flawless of a finish as my regular foundation brush. It also didn't pick up much pigment as it usually does. Lesson learned!)
2. Rimmel Stay Matte, #20
3. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
4. Coastal Scents taupe eyeshadow
5. Exuviance Concealer in Beige
6. Candy Shop Champagne eyeshadow

EYES

1. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer in Light Sand (NTS: Use brush to apply concealer because using my fingers were not as effective.)
2. Exuviance Concealer in Beige
3. NYX Pencil Eyeliner in Dark Brown (top lid only)
4. ELF Liquid Eyeliner Black (to cover glue on lashes)
5. Ardell Double Up #206
6. Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara (big wand on lower lashes)
7. Candy Shop Champagne eyeshadow (inner 2/3 of lower lid)
8. NYX Wonder Pencil in Light (inner corners, lower waterline)
9. Maybelline Brow Drama in Blonde
10. Anastasia Brow Pencil Blonde
11. Contacts: GEO Tri World Brown

LIPS

1. NYX Simply Pink First Base (center of lips)
2. NYX Butter Gloss Merengue (all over lips)
3. NYX Wonder Pencil in Light