Makeup By Kim Porter

Makeup Looks

Then vs Now: How my makeup has changed in my 30’s

Then vs Now Makeup in my 30s

There’s something that happens to us as we get older.  Things tend to change. If they don’t then there’s something wrong with you.  #KiddingNOTKidding Seriously, people tend to learn from the mistakes they’ve made as youths, and work on improving those things as they get older. The same thing goes for people in the makeup world, whether you’re a makeup artist or enthusiast, you’re sure to have noticed a change in the way your makeup looks now versus lets say, 5 to 10 years ago.

I didn’t start wearing makeup until I was 18, which was for my high school prom.  This makeup consisted of powder, gold eye shadow, mascara, and a gloss. And then, something happened, I began to experiment with different colors, foundation, lipsticks, blushers and bronzers; I was obsessed. I turned my obsession into a passion, and began blogging and doing makeup. Now that I am fresh into my 30’s, it seems like I’m back to where I started – back to neutrals. One thing I noticed about my makeup versus then and now, is that I am more of a ‘Less is more’ kind of gal woman.

What am I doing differently with my makeup now that I’m in my 30’s? Keep reading to find out.

Looking back at my old makeup posts and tutorials, I was into very colorful makeup. I was younger, and didn’t I mind experimenting with color to create colorful [outrageous] looks. I remember the huge lashes I loved to wear.  OMG! I look back at photos, and I think I look completely ridiculous.  Even my eyebrows went through some major changes. They’re no longer heavily drawn on. They have a softer more natural look.

These days, I’m not sure if it’s the mom in me, or if I’m becoming more conservative, or maybe it can be attributed to me not having more time to dedicate to putting on loads of makeup, but one thing I noticed is that my makeup in my 30’s is more on the neutral side.  Sure, I will add a pop of color with a colored eye pencil or even a bright lippie, but, that’s probably the most I will do. I honestly do not have the time for anything else, especially during the week.

Makeup in my 30s collage

My goal for my makeup look, especially for work and casual wear, is to look more polished than made up.  Below are some of my makeup staples for an everyday face.

  • NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (review)
  • La Girl Pro Concealer (review)
  • Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow (review) or IT Cosmetics YBBB Brow Pencil (review)
  • Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (review) or tarte Lights Camera Lashes
  • Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder #7
  • Anyone of my favorite colored lippies for a pop of color or if I want a straight nude/neutral look, I opt for the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Raquel (review).

 

I’ve shared how my makeup look and routine have changed since hitting 30. I would love to hear about your experiences, too.

Have you noticed that your makeup look has changed as you aged? If so, I’d like to hear how. If it hasn’t I’d love to hear about that, too!


My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition

Favorite Spring Lipsticks

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Spring is definitely here! I know for a fact that I am not the only one happy about the warm weather that spring brings, especially, after the weather we’ve had this past winter. To welcome spring I’ve put together a list of my favorite lipsticks to wear during the spring and into the summer. This round of my favorite spring lipsticks features a spring suitable shade, pink.

Keep reading for pictures and swatches of My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition.

Spring Lipsticks

Show Orchid is a beautiful, bold fuchsia with blue iridescent properties. It glides on nicely, and has opaque coverage that lasts for a few hours. It’s great color if you’re into bright pink shades. I wear MAC Show Orchid during the day for a nice pop of color. It’s also fun color to wear out for a night out with friends.

Spring Lipsticks

Girl About Town was one of the first bright pink lipsticks I’ve ever purchased from MAC, and it’s still one of my favorite spring lipsticks due to the color alone. Plus, like Show Orchid, it’s creamy texture glides onto my lips easily, and offers full-coverage color in one swipe. Girl About Town is one of those shades that can seriously be worn by anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

Spring Lipsticks

I reviewed the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints previously. Bombshell was one of my favorite shades due to its fuchsia color that perfectly flattered my complexion. The texture is more of a gloss, and isn’t as opaque as some of my other favorite spring lipsticks, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s pretty, and it makes me feel like a bombshell when wearing it.

Spring Lipsticks

Another bright fuchsia, the OCC Lip Tar Pretty Boy, has made My Favorite Spring Lipsticks list. This is another liquid lipstick, similar to the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint, except that the finish is more matte, and this one is a lot more pigmented.

Spring Lipsticks

A coral made my favorite spring lipsticks list! Yay! Trollop, wears more pink on me than anything, which makes sense since OCC describes it as a “pink-coral”. It’s a nice bright shade that packs the pigment. I don’t need much makeup besides bronzer, mascara, and concealer when wearing it. It’s definitely a fun shade for spring.

Spring Lipsticks

Up The Amp is the last of my favorite spring lipsticks as for as pinks go. It’s a creamy pink shade that leans a bit purplish. Against my complexion it’s a very subtle shade, which I love because it makes it suitable for work wear. The color is opaque and lasts for a good amount of time, too. I’d say about 5-hours.

Spring Lipsticks Pink Arm Swatches

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and seeing photos of My Favorite Spring Lipsticks: The Pink Edition. I’d love to hear what shades of lipsticks you’ve been wearing this spring.

 

 

The NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel Shade is Gorgeous on Brown Skin

NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel

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Remember my mini NARS Haul? I purchased the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Macao along with the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel. If you’ve read my review of the All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, you’d know that I love it; it has been my go-to foundation of choice for the last few months. You would have also noticed the nice pink-beige lipstick I’ve been wearing, too, which is the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel.

NARS describes their line of 40 Audacious Lipsticks as:

Modern lipstick so shamelessly seductive in touch and texture the sensation is audacious. Unadulterated luxury glides on like satin across skin with single-stroke coverage. A spectrum of 40 shades for unstoppable impact.

NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel

Before I get into what I’m loving about the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel, can I just talk about the case? The NARS Audacious Lipstick case is a sleek, mate black metal case with magnetic properties. Have you ever had your lipstick cap come off while toting it around in your bag? Yup! It’s happened to me, and what a mess that was.  Fortunately, with the NARS Audacious Lipstick I don’t have to worry about that.  Never before have I had a lipstick case with magnetic packaging that aligns itself to snap close.

Now, we can talk about the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel.  As I mentioned above, it’s a pretty, neutral, pinkish-beige lipstick. It’s a nice semi-matte formula that glides on smoothly, with a lot of impact in one swipe, which is very similar the the All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation since I only needed one drop of that.  At least NARS is consistent, right?

NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel

If you have pigmented lips, you know that finding a lipstick with opacity of epic proportions to cover up that pigment and have the lipstick shade pop, can sometimes be difficult.  I’m a brown girl, with slightly pigmented lips, and even with that, the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel shows up on my lips just as it appears in the tube, which is awesome.

Although the NARS Audacious Lipsticks are described as having satin finishes, I’ve found that, at least on me, the lipstick appears a little matte, which doesn’t bother me because I LOVE matte lipsticks.  Even with this characteristic, I didn’t find the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel to be drying; however, I would suggest applying a thin layer of lip balm prior to applying the lipstick.

As far as the longevity of wear goes, the NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel lasts at least 5 hours, even after eating and/or drinking. I like that it doesn’t feather either; however, I do line my lips with my favorite nude lip pencil.

Overall, I am completely satisfied with my NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel. For me, it’s the perfect nude shade for my brown skin.  I like that on me, it doesn’t look pasty, and it complements any makeup look whether it’s a smoky eye or soft neutral look.  It’s honestly the perfect everyday lipstick. I can’t wait to try out more of the other shades.

The NARS Audacious Lipstick Raquel can be purchased for $32.00/ 0.14 oz at NARS or narscosmetics.com, Sephora or Sephora.com, Barneys or Barneys.com

Do you own any of the NARS Audacious Lipsticks?

Which are your favorite shades?

 

 

 

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation ‘Macao’ Review

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation Review Macao

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Just a few weeks ago, I introduced you to my new NARS Cosmetics purchases.  One of the purchases was the new NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. It’s one of the most raved about liquid foundations on the market right now, and rightfully so.  Keep reading to learn more about the foundation, and how well it worked (or not) for me.

NARS describes the All Day Luminous Foundation as:

Full, natural-looking coverage with unexpectedly weightless, 16-hour wear.  Highly pigmented and perfectly balanced, this breakthrough formula builds and blends effortlessly with just one drop—the result of exclusive innovation uniquely designed to deliver long-wearing full coverage, weightlessly. Shake, pump and blend in sections for complete coverage that’s completely natural looking.

If you’ve been keeping up with me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been testing out the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation since I picked it up.  You’ll also know that I am a huge fan of it, for many reasons:

– It’s lightweight

– A little goes a long way

– Provides excellent coverage without looking cakey

– It’s long-lasting without having to do any major touch-ups

– It works well with my oily skin

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation Macao

Normally, due to some discoloration on my face, which is more prominent on my right cheek, I’d have to use a color corrector prior to applying my foundation.  Using this NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation doesn’t require that step, which reduces my makeup application time.  That’s a total plus if you ask me.  Also, did I mention that instead of using who knows how many pumps or dime-sized amounts of other liquid foundations, I only have to use one, ONE drop of the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in order to achieve the coverage and look that I want? Yup! So just imagine how long it will take me (or you) to get rid of the bottle.  You’re definitely getting your monies worth.

Speaking of the bottle.  I’ve mentioned many times before that I love simplicity.  The NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is beautiful in all of its simplicity with it’s sharp lines, matte black cap, and frosted bottle. Simple and chic – just the way I like it.  The pump dispenser releases just the right amount of foundation needed as well.  I know that there are some instances when dispensers release too much product, which can lead to waste. We don’t want that.

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation Swatches

Usually, as a woman of color, it’s pretty hard finding foundations that are a perfect match for my complexion.  They’re either a bit too dark, the undertone isn’t right, which can make us look muddy.  However, with the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, I was able to find my “perfect” match in the shade ‘Macao’, which is described as medium dark with yellow undertones.

After applying the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, my skin looks naturally radiant. I’ve received many compliments on how good my skin looked, too. I also liked the finish. It wasn’t dewy nor completely matte. My skin didn’t look dry nor did it feel tight.

And just to touch a bit on wear, I can see how the foundation may last 16-hours.  I haven’t yet had a reason to wear it for that amount of time, but, I did notice that after my hour-long commute, and 8-hour workday, the foundation is still in place, even on my nose where foundation seems to always disappear.  Surprisingly with my oily t-zone, I’m not even shiny by the end of my work day either. The most I’d have to do is use a blot paper once or twice, and that’s it. The real test comes once the weather warms up.  If it doesn’t pan out, I still have my NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer.

Overall, I am in love with the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. It applies flawlessly, and makes my skin look amazingly radiant.  If you’re in the market for a full-coverage, lightweight foundation that lasts all day, and is great for all skin types, I suggest checking out the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation.

The NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks and more in 20 shades, and costs $48/1 oz.

Tip: To find your perfect foundation match, instead of swatching on your hand or wrist, swatch the product on your neck.  Your face, which is oftentimes a different shade than your neck, should match your neck once foundation is applied.

Have you tried the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation?

What do you think?