Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer

Hello ladies,

I have been having a great experience with Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer. This product improves the look of my makeup and lengthens wear time. It also works well over sunscreen and skin treatment products.

I can easily tell why Sheer Envy Primer is favored by makeup artists. It has a light, silky texture. Applied over sunscreen, it offers a smooth base for my concealer, powder and bronzer. I noticed I require less makeup when using this primer.

If you like boutique makeup items, Sheer Envy Primer is an exceptional value at $8.00 USD. It will extend the wear of your favorite foundation and concealer and allow you to use less for better coverage. The application of my makeup appears more even and natural than without it.

Since I have fair skin, I regularly use a touch of bronzer to enhance my complexion. Sheer Envy Primer helps with adhesion. I can quickly highlight my cheeks, chin and forehead without worrying about needing to reapply. I also don't have to be concerned with brushing on too much color, trying to get an even application. It helps my bronzer add the most natural glow possible.

I use a moisturizing serum and sunscreen every day. Sheer Envy Primer makes my skin a little more matte without causing dryness. Makeup seems to rest atop the primer instead of sinking into the skin and getting lost in absorption. It's a great solution for layering over sunscreen or other moisturizers. You can still protect and hydrate your skin and keep your makeup in place all day long.

Since I noticed a bit of separation the first time I used Sheer Envy Primer, I give the tube a quick shake before dispensing. The primer appears white, like a lightweight lotion, but it smoothes beautifully over the skin.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorophlogopite, Silica Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconal, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide.

If you are searching for an affordable, studio quality face primer, I can highly recommend this product.

Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer was sent to me for review. You can learn more about the full line of cosmetics and nail polishes at hardcandy.com. To purchase, visit a Walmart retail location or shop on-line at walmart.com.

Happy painting, ladies!

Bella Sugar eye look

Hello ladies,

I have an eye look for you today with colors from Bella Sugar Cosmetics. There is something about Spring that inspires me to wear shades found on bright birds and flowers.

The shimmer is lovely in this low light photo.

The shadow swatches were done on the side of my hand. The first line shows the color applied directly to skin. The second line displays the color over Reviva Labs Makeup Primer. You can read more about the primer in this review. If it's a product that interests you, please let me know. The people at Reviva Labs always review comments and are responsive to reader interest.

Clearwater: a vibrant blue with a touch of green.

Bad Girl: This color is a smoky purple shimmer that is difficult to capture. I am showing two views so you can get an idea how the color can change in the light.

Bella Sugar: a pale pink shimmer. I love this as a highlight.

Sweet Pea: a peachy pink. You can see this color blends with my skin tone. This is a great pinkish shade for warm toned skins. It's fairly neutral.

I really love the silky feel of applying shadows from Bella Sugar Cosmetics. They glide softly across the eyelid. The adhesion is especially impressive when worn over primer. Their color range can easily suit a variety of tastes. I put together selections for an 18 color palette and I feel like I could combine the shades in various ways to fit my color needs that day.

Across the lid, I am wearing Bad Girl. In the photos, Clearwater is overtaking the purple. Bad Girl is one of those colors that lives much better than it photographs. It's true to the name! In the contour, there is a mix of Clearwater and Coltt. I will be showing swatches of Coltt in the next post about Bella Sugar Cosmetics. It's an amazing cobalt blue that makes think of Cleopatra. The highlight is mostly Bella Sugar with a touch of Sweet Pea.

The mascara is Hard Candy's Curl Up and Dye in late night. I am also wearing Walk the Line liquid eyeliner in sugar plum.

All the products mentioned in this post were sent to me for review. Shadows from Bella Sugar Cosmetics can be purchased from either their on-line store, bellasugarcosmetics.com, or their etsy shop. If you see a color reviewed that isn't listed, feel free to contact them. All of the shades I posted are currently available.

For a chance to win all six shadows from the Wildflower Collection as well as Reviva Labs Makeup primer, please visit the contest post. If you happen to be the lucky winner, Bella Sugar Cosmetics is willing to make substitutions if you already have the shades from the Wildflower Collection or would like to try a different color.

Happy painting, ladies!

Apothecary: Reviva Labs Makeup Primer

Hello ladies,

Today I want to share information about Reviva Labs Makeup Primer, a new go to product in my cosmetic apothecary. This product is beloved by me and also approved by a drag queen.

Snapdragons! A lovely flower with a fabulous name.

I have been using the Reviva Labs Makeup Primer for a few weeks. While at work on Thursday, my boss called me out to talk to a customer and friend of his. Aside from running the store, he is also a professional makeup artist. He does stunning theatrical make up and hair for drag shows.

The woman he was speaking with needed a quality makeup primer. Her smoky eye look was clearly not withstanding the hot weather. After examining my eye makeup closely and complimenting me on the colors, she asked me when I applied my shadows. I told her 10 a.m. It was 3.30 p.m. at the time. She was so impressed she planned to stop by the health food store before work that evening. I will tell you ladies, if a fashionable gay man uses you as example of what to do, you are doing something right.

I have been testing Reviva Labs Makeup Primer under some pretty strong conditions. Aside from heat and humidity, the first day I wore the primer was exceedingly windy! I tried to have lunch in the park before taking pictures, but my couscous kept blowing off my fork. I was outside in the garden for about an hour attempting to capture flowers in frame between gusts of wind. Afterwards, my hair was wild and my clothing askew, but my makeup looked freshly applied.

My main use of Reviva Labs Makeup Primer is for help with eye shadow adhesion. I have been using the primer on my entire eye area, even under the lower lash line. I had no problems with sensitivity or irritation. The gel formula is odorless and has a satiny texture when applied. I was really impressed by how it helped my shadows look brighter and intensified the color payoff. I'll be showing some makeup swatches and eye looks using the primer as a base over the next few days.

While I don't wear much foundation, I do use concealer to spot cover. I found applying the makeup primer in localized areas before using concealer helped keep my complexion looking fresh hours longer than concealer alone. The formula is non-comedogenic so there is no worry about causing blemishes or exacerbating any skin issues you are needing help covering.

The formula contains Vitamin A Palmitate and Vitamin D3 so you can nourish your skin while having all the benefits of a good primer. Coenzyme Q10 is also included for antioxidant properties.

I am curious. Do you ladies use makeup primer for your eyes and face? It's something I started only this year. It's a practice that is so effective I wish I could go back in time and advise my teenage self to use primer. If time travel is perfected in my lifetime, I am stashing a bottle of makeup primer in my carryall.

This product was sent to me for review. Reviva Labs Makeup Primer can be purchased from revivalabs.com. It's also available from overallbeauty.com. For a chance to win a bottle of Reviva Labs Makeup Primer stop by the contest post to enter.

Happy painting, ladies!

Hard Candy Eye Look: green and gold

Hello ladies,

I have another Hard Candy eye look for you. This blend of green and gold was inspired by Lady Slipper flowers.

My lashes are dark green!

I didn't use a lash curler. The curl is from the mascara alone!

In the Shadows eye shadow collection in gamble. It comes with a mini primer.

Split Personality eye shadow duo in therapy.

The green has intense sparkle.

Curl Up and Dye lash curling mascara in late night.

Take Me Out eyeliner pencil in fortune cookie.

Yellow Lady Slippers, a type of wild orchid.

I began with the primer included in the eye shadow collection. I'm really impressed with how it kept my eye make up in place on a humid, sunny day. The shadows applied well. I particularly loved the coppery shade, fourth from the top.

I used the entire palette for this look. The pale cream is at the inner corners and also blended with the beige (in the center) on my brow bone. The copper and the earthy brown are blended in the contour. The copper was also placed at the outer lid. The gamble shadows collection could function well for workday neutrals or be dressed up a bit with a few simple additions.

The Split Personality eye shadow duos have a cream formula. Although I did have some creasing, the green shadow over primer stayed on my eyes on a 90 degree F (32 C) day. I had Thai food outside by the river and afterwards my friend and I did a little shopping. Then we took a walk in the woods at the wildflower preserve. The shadow was still present and visible after all that activity. Overall, I am pretty impressed with the performance of this formula.

Curl Up and Dye mascara is tied with the baked eye shadow duos as my favorite Hard Candy cosmetic. The mascara gave gorgeous curl, definition and color. Other fashion shades include blue (Mr. Right) and purple (Venus). There is a basic black and brown as well as an inky shade. I want all of them!

The Take Me Out liner in fortune cookie made my eyes gilded. It's a great product to stash in your make up bag if you need to dress up your look quickly.

The eye products in this post were provided for me to review. You can browse the entire Hard Candy line of cosmetics and nail color at hardcandy.com. Walmart retail locations and walmart.com stock Hard Candy items for purchase. For a chance to win all 16 Hard Candy Just Nails polishes, please visit the contest post to enter. The contest ends May 3rd in the last available time zone, so don't delay.

Happy painting, ladies!