My Extended Makeup Routine and Sephora Spring Bonus Sale!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Okay, maybe not, but it is time for Sephora's spring sale!! The sale is open to all Beauty Insiders (join for free here) and you can get 10-15% off depending on your Sephora status. Cue the squeals!! I always stock during Sephora's sales because makeup so rarely goes on sale, so it's a great time to repurchase some of my favorites as well as try new products.

The sale starts tomorrow and runs through Monday for VIB Rouge members, and then starts up again next weekend (the 20th through the 23rd) for VIB and Beauty Insiders, with VIB Rouge and VIB receiving 15% off and Beauty Insiders receiving 10% off.

Here are a few of the products I've got in my shopping cart:

Nars Lip Gloss in Super "O" - I tried this on in stores, and it's the prettiest shimmery peach color! I love the Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Bound, which I wear on the daily.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - I got a free sample of this primer, and you guys, it works. It's like glue on your eyelids - no worries about eye shadow moving around or creasing!

bareMinerals Original Foundation - I've always heard amazing things about bareMinerals but have never tried it. I'm thinking I'm going to start wearing foundation (really, I don't even own any!) because I'm starting to not be happy with my pores, but I'm not really into liquids. Plus this was one of the four that Sephora's skin match test would be a perfect match on me. So I'm going to give this a try! My color is (hopefully) Fairly Medium.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-Enriched Renewal Cream - this is my favorite night cream. It's so thick and moisturizing, and it smells great too!

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara - my favorite for years now - it's great for lengthening and thickening!

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast - this is amazing for amping up my hair when I curl it - see my full hair routine here.

St. Tropez Express Bronzing Mousse - I loved the in-shower St. Tropez gradual tan lotion last summer, but my legs started having an allergic reaction to it! I'm hoping that this one won't bother my skin because I've heard amazing things about it. You're going to want the mitt too for easy application.

My Makeup Routine

I also filmed a new makeup routine tutorial video for you because I've changed a few pieces of my makeup routine from my last video:



If you watched that whole thing, phew, props to you! Here is my shorter beauty routine video that I mentioned if you couldn't quite make it through ;) Weirdly, I'm wearing the same tee in both videos?!

And here are all of the products I mentioned in the video:

Milk Blur Stick Primer

Laura Mercier Concealer in 1N

Beauty Blender

Covergirl Concealer

Nars Concealer

Givenchy Bronzer in Moonlight (for highlighting)

Laura Mercier Brightening Powder

Smashbox Powder in Fair/Light

Cargo Blush in Los Cabos

Urban Decay Smoky Palette (this is being discontinued so it's on major sale!)

Urban Decay Naked2 Palette

Shu Uemura Lash Curler

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeliner

Bobbi Brown Brow Pencil

Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Bound

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How to Cover Under-Eye Circles

If there's one beauty issue I definitely hate, it's under-eye circles.  They're basically the bane of my existence.  Mine are of the especially dark and purple-y variety that basically make me look like a zombie when left uncovered.  I would think it's one of those beauty things only I notice, but I know it isn't because every time I skip concealer, Jeff asks me if I'm sick.  Every. Time.

I've been on the hunt for a good under-eye concealer since I hit puberty, but they're always too cakey or don't offer enough coverage or run off of my face immediately when the wind makes my eyes tear (ahem, every time I go outside). I think I finally found a way to cover them for good:

Perfekt Skin Perfection Conceal / Smashbox 'Photo Op' Under-Eye Brightener / L'Oreal True Match Powder 

The combo does what one product alone cannot - covers, brightens, and seals.  The concealer is really pigmented and covers well, plus is water resistant, so it actually stays on my face when I shed a tear or two.  The brightener is technically supposed to go on before the concealer, but I prefer it on top so it can reflect a lot of light.  The powder sets it so it lasts and doesn't crease.  Now I can actually look in the mirrors in the scary unflattering elevator light at work instead of adverting my eyes.  And Jeff rarely asks if I'm a zombie.  Win win.

Do you hate under-eye circles too?  Have any tricks for covering them up?




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