A Taupe Affair

If you look online there is a plethora of taupe comparisons as well as reviews but I wanted to go ahead and dip my toe into the taupe review pool. In the past few days I have purchased a Victoria Secret's eyeshadow and my first Maybelline cream eyeshadow.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe
~$5.99 at drugstores

Victoria's Secret in Decadent
$12 in store 

 I always like swatching my new purchases and I happened to find that the VS looked very similarly to MAC's Satin Taupe which is my most used eyeshadow. 

MAC's Satin Taupe
$15 in store or online

Obviously the price difference isn't as alluring but let's take a closer look at the colors themselves.

From left to right:
Satin Taupe, Decadent, Tough as Taupe

From top to bottom:
Tough as Taupe, Decadent, Satin Taupe

In the top photo, in natural light, the colors are very similar. Both contain a nice sheen and have the gorgeous purple with grey undertones that I love in taupes. 

The bottom photo, in artificial light, the colors are less alike. Satin Taupe shows up more golden rather than the silvery Decadent. Decadent even shows up slightly pink.

Tough as Taupe is a very pretty matte taupe that could work very well as a base for either of the more shimmery colors. 

MY VERDICT: These colors may appear basically the same on the lid but to maximize each color, I would pair Satin Taupe with bronzey, golden colors while Decadent would be wonderful with colors that have silvery undertones. For anyone that has both Naked palettes by Urban Decay, I would say that Satin Taupe would belong with the warmer colors of the original Naked while Decadent would be at home with Naked 2. And PS. I LOVE and own both palettes!

What color do you tend to reach for when you need a quick, polished look? I'd love to read your responses in the comments below!

Go Through Life Face First

I mentioned the Clarisonic Mia in my 7 Deadly Sins tag a while ago and a friend of mine just purchased one so as I was texting her, telling her all the info about it, I realized I should just do a blog post because I have a lot to say.

First off, let me say that I LOVE this item. It is the best investment and I could not live without it. While I was researching it last year, I found a lot of people saying that if you have never used it then you aren't missing anything but if you do try it, you will never go back to living without it. I think the reason for that is the noticeable difference on your face. Its brighter and smoother due to the exfoliating properties. I could probably write a dissertation about this product but I will link some videos instead. The first referenced video is the reason why I bought the Clarisonic and the other is a new video that I feel gives really good information.

Michele1218

Beauty Broadcast

Another quick detail to point out is that if you do decide to purchase this, its best to wait for Sephora's annual Friends and Family discount but to be eligible you would have to be a BI or perhaps a VIB with Sephora, I'm not quite sure which. 

It is safe to use twice a day but I limit my use to the night time just for the simple fact that I'm always in a rush in the morning and don't have the time to do anything than quickly wash my face and moisturize.

This is my Clarisonic Mia. I thought it was a special edition pattern but they are still offering it on Sephora's website. 

The scrubber part is removable by inserting the ridges of the plastic cover into the grooves of the brush and twisting clockwise. 

I recommend to remove the brush once a week and rinse it in a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 2 parts water. It cleans the brush so that any buildup can be removed. 

   

I also use a Q-tip to remove any gunk that may be in the actual Clarisonic after the brush head has been removed.

Before I use my Clarisonic, I remove all my makeup so that the brush isn't unnecessarily dirty. Then I cleanse with the Clarisonic and rinse the brush off with water so that no more soap remains on the bristles. As for the type of soap, liquid face cleansers are fine. The Clarisonic even comes with their brand of cleanser and when I used that cleanser I placed it in the center of the brush. 

Nowadays, I use a solid bar soap from Sibu because it doesn't contain harsh chemicals such as parabens. And it was $5 but my Whole Foods didn't have it supplied so they ordered it for me free of charge!! Sibu was actually just having an amazing sale so I stocked up on a lot of products but I'll do a review as soon as I've used up my current products and I've tested out the Sibu products. :-)

BACK TO THE CLARISONIC.....

So this post has been way to long and if you're still reading this I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to do so...the last bit of information I wanted to provide was how often to replace the brush heads. On the box it says to replace it every 3 months which is a good time frame if you use it every single day. But if you're only using it ONLY once a day I think you can get away with replacing it every 4 months. But I personally change it every 3 months as recommended.

 I also buy the twin set of brush heads.

This retails for about $40 on the Sephora website. Each single head is $25 so you are saving money but buying 2 instead of 1. And I also stock up on the brush heads during that same Friends and Family event because 20% off is nothing to skip out on especially in the makeup world. I buy 2 twin packs so I have the 4 to last me through out the year. And another side note is that I prefer the deep pore cleansing brush because the sensitive brush that comes with the Clarisonic is too soft and I felt like I could withstand a more "rough" cleanse. BUT please keep in mind, no matter what brush you use, it will not hurt as long as you just place the brush on your face and let it do its thing. Brush head types include: Sensitive (default), Delicate, Normal, Deep Pore and Acne.

So to conclude, this is a very important part of my personal cleansing routine and it is an investment in time as well as money. But I honestly would not go back to how I washed my face before. My face is brighter, smoother and my pores are smaller after consistent use of this product. I absolutely love it and I encourage everyone to invest if you want to improve the look of your skin.