Beauty – Page 2 – Hoots of a Night Al

Best Dewy Drugstore Foundation for Oily Skin!

July 18, 2018 No Comments

As a drugstore beauty lover with oily/combination skin, it’s often hard for me to find the perfect foundation. Good news though…I have a new recommendation for you! The Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation is AMAZING. It works great not only on my combination skin, but my mom (who has super dry skin!) loves it, too!

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

According to Maybelline, this foundation provides “radiant, healthy looking skin with a luxurious feel.” And is, “an oil-free formula that is non-comedogenic and won’t clog your pores for flawless natural looking coverage.” I love the emphasis on natural coverage because I would definitely consider this a medium coverage foundation. Considering I usually go for medium-full coverage foundations, I was worried this would be too sheer for me. However, the coverage is definitely buildable, and it looks flawless after I use my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.

As you can see, I am a pretty pale gal. Thankfully, the lightest shade in this foundation is a perfect match for me! Porcelain Ivory has slightly pink undertones and applies slightly lighter than it looks in the bottle. For reference, I wear Classic Ivory in Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation (my other go-to foundation!).

My favorite way to apply it is with a damp original BeautyBlender. If you choose to use a brush, the coverage may be even better, but I find this blends perfectly when I use a sponge. I also set this foundation with Coty Airspun Extra Coverage Translucent Powder, since I have combination skin and live in a very humid climate. However, if you don’t add concealer or have drier skin, you could skip the powder all together.

The Dream Satin Liquid Foundation has a hydrating serum in it that is supposed to provide up to 12 hours of moisture. I have worn this foundation for 12+ hours, and I can attest that my skin felt moisturized and still looked flawless after all that time. If you’re oilier you may need a shine sheet or some setting powder after several hours, but otherwise this should last you perfectly all day!

At under $10, I think the Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a medium coverage, dewy foundation that will last all day! You know I love my drugstore beauty items, and this foundation has quickly climbed to the top of my favorites list! Let me know below if you have any new beauty favorites!

Here is what I used for the rest of my makeup look. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these products!

Primer: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Foundation: Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation in Porcelain Ivory

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair 15

Setting Powder: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Palette

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette in Catwalk Pink

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster in Medium

Brows: NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Blonde

Contour: Wet n Wild Megaglo Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche

Brushes: wet n wild & Real Techniques

Sponge: BeautyBlender Original

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Perfect Summer Waterproof Brows with Bella Brows!

May 21, 2018 No Comments

Who is ready for summer? It’s already heating up here in Texas, so I’ve been spending every minute I can in my parents’ pool! I usually go for light makeup on pool days that will protect my face from the sun and hold up in the water. This Bella Brow eyebrow sculpting gel from Alluricare is PERFECT for summer days because it’s…you guessed it…waterproof!

Each kit is less than $15 and comes with everything pictured above: eyebrow stencils, a dual-ended spoolie/angled brush, and the eyebrow sculpting gel. Directions are printed on the back of the box to help you with application.

The available colors are (from top to bottom): Dark Blonde, Auburn, Brunette, or Brown/Black. The Dark Blonde shade was the best match for me and is a cool-toned shade that would work best on darker blondes or ladies with light brown hair.

I found the eyebrow stencils a bit tricky to use, so I simply followed the shape of my natural brow. I used the angled brush to get product off of the gel wand, applied in strokes that matched my eyebrow growth, and then used the spoolie to evenly distribute the product. When I first applied the gel, I used the brush on the wand directly, but it was hard to control and applied much too dark. However, applying with the angled brush solved that problem.

As you can see up close, the product defines my brow shape without looking too dark or dramatic (which is what I prefer)…though please excuse my non-groomed brows… 🙂 The blonde shade may be too cool-toned for me, but overall I found it to be a pretty close match.

According to their website, “Bella Brow contains a premium blend of tiny hair-like fibers combined with specially treated pigments that easily attach to your skin and hair.” I can attest that these pigments attach to skin and hair VERY easily! If you happen to apply some of the gel where you don’t want it, you will definitely require a makeup remover to get it off!

That brings me to my next point; THESE BROWS WILL NOT BUDGE. Once you’ve applied this product it is THERE. TO. STAY. Make sure you have a good makeup remover (this one is my favorite) handy to remove this product as it claims it can last for up to 3 days. I haven’t attempted to keep it on that long, however, vigorous rubbing with soap and water wouldn’t remove my arm swatches at all! I had to use micellar water to get those off, and I use the same method to remove it from my brows.

Overall, I am very pleased with Bella Brows! I think the price point is great for the quality and amount of product you receive. I’m so excited they sent me some to test out just in time for them to become an integral part of my summer makeup routine!

If you want to try Bella Brows for yourself, you can use the code 10OFFNIGHTAL at this link for a discount! Let me know if you love them as much as I do, and tell me your favorite waterproof makeup in the comments!

Primer: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Foundation: Covergirl 3-in-1 Foundation

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Setting Powder: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Palette

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster

Brows: Bella Brow Eyebrow Sculpting Gel in Dark Blonde

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

I received this product for free to review, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Beauty

5 Best Drugstore Dry Shampoos

April 27, 2018 No Comments

Regardless of your hair texture, I think dry shampoo is something that everyone should take advantage of! My hair isn’t thin, but it IS stick straight, which means I can always use a little help in the volume department. On top of that, I have naturally oily hair, so dry shampoo is a lifesaver for me! As you can imagine, I’ve tried TONS of dry shampoos, so I wanted to share five of my favorites with you.

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo (Unscented)

This is probably my most used dry shampoo! I have linked and pictured the unscented bottle, but I love the original scent as well. The price can’t be beat, especially considering that you get 7 oz. of product. It dries up all the excess oil in my hair while keeping it silky enough to run my fingers through. This is one of the first dry shampoos I ever tried, and I stay loyal to it because it works!

Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy Bodybuilding Dry Shampoo (Orange Mango)

I tried this dry shampoo specifically for the scent, and it smells amazing! I feel like a lot of dry shampoos have a distinct smell, and while it isn’t unpleasant, sometimes I don’t want the scent of my hair to announce to the room that it’s loaded with dry shampoo! This bottle definitely added a bit more volume than the original Not Your Mother’s Dry Shampoo, and I loved the results.

Dove Refresh+Care Volume & Fullness Dry Shampoo

My mom actually bought this dry shampoo for me to try, and I’m so glad she did! According to Dove, this dry shampoo is “created especially for those with flat hair that can be oily, a little limp or weighed down between washes.” That is EXACTLY my hair type, and this dry shampoo definitely works wonders. It leaves my hair looking fresh and adds volume at my roots whenever I use it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (Sassy & Daring Wild Scent)

Batiste has a plethora of dry shampoos including ten different scents, different tones for hair colors, and one that even claims to strengthen your hair! My favorite scents are wild, tropical, and fresh, but I’ve yet to try them all! Batiste is extremely popular and claims to work well on all hair types, so if you’re wanting to try dry shampoo for the first time, this may be a good place to start.

EvaNYC Freshen Up Dry Shampoo

EvaNYC scent me this Dry Shampoo to try about a year ago, and I love it! According to them, “natural rice starch is gentle on hair and leaves no white residue, while Vitamin C & fatty acids enhance shine, nourish and repair.” I can attest to the lack of white residue, and it has a delightful scent. Plus, the packaging is darling!

Hopefully you find this list helpful if you’re on the hunt for a new dry shampoo, and please leave me your favorites in the comments! I’m a firm believer that I can never have too many options when it comes to dry shampoo. 😉

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

Beauty

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick Swatches & Review

April 10, 2018 18 Comments

Who’s ready for the latest amazing drugstore lip product?? I wear drugstore brand makeup almost exclusively, so I was thrilled when Maybelline sent me some of their new SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks. I had previously purchased the shade Lover about six months ago, and I loved it right away! The colors Maybelline sent me are from their new Un-Nude collection, which includes shades that are supposed to bold, unconventional and “anti-nude.” Between the original collection and this one, there are 20 shades ranging from understated to bright.

According to Maybelline, these liquid lipsticks are supposed to “ink your lips in up to 16 HR saturated liquid matte. SuperStay Matte Ink™ features a unique arrow applicator for precise application and is available in a range of super saturated shades.” I will definitely agree that these lipsticks are both VERY saturated and VERY long-lasting. This product stays on flawlessly until I use some Garnier Micellar Water to remove it! Depending on the shade, I do tend to get some flaking near the interior of my lip, but otherwise they look amazing all day. Here is an example of how Ruler looked on me after 10 hours of wear (including eating and drinking!).

While they are labeled as matte, they tend to stay slightly tacky throughout the entire wear-time on me. They are easy to apply with the arrow applicator, though the formula is slightly drippy, so be careful!

I think that covers everything “important”…on to the swatches! I have ordered them from lightest to darkest. The shades I’m sharing are: Poet, Seductress, Lover, Ruler, Huntress, and Protector. Also…please excuse my messy arm swatches…it’s the first time I’ve ever attempted those and it’s harder than I expected! Haha!

Poet

Seductress

BONUS: Seductress with Poet layered on top for a highlighting effect! I loved these two combined.

Lover (MY FAVE!)

Ruler (MY 2ND FAVE!)

Huntress (Perf for anyone cosplaying as the Tin Man)

Protector (Brown 90s vibes)

There you go! Six shades from the Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick line swatched on my arm and lips for you!

I wanted to include lip swatches because I always prefer those when trying to tell what a shade will look like on. I hope this was helpful; please leave any other questions you have below! Also, couldn’t resist including a “blooper…” 😉 Oh the things I do for y’all!

Thanks for sticking around! Have you tried the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipsticks? Tell me your favorite color below, because I think I need to pick up a few more of these! What would you like me to review next?

Love y’all!

Primer: Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Foundation: Covergirl 3-in-1 Foundation

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer

Setting Powder: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder

Eyeliner: Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Ultimate Naked Palette

Eyeshadow Primer: Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational

Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

Highlighter: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Illuminating Palette

Bronzer: Physicans Formula Bronze Booster

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on these links or make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage of the profit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

I received this product for free to review, but, as always, all opinions are my own.

Beauty

Best at Home Teeth Whitening! (+GIVEAWAY!)

February 12, 2018 No Comments

**Don’t forget to enter the $149 giveaway at the bottom of this post!**

One of the #1 duties of a beauty blogger is to take selfies. Hundreds and thousands and millions of selfies. Fine, I may be exaggerating (though not by much), but the fact remains that I spend a lot of time taking and looking at pictures of myself. This inevitably leads to me analyzing every inch of my face.

Do I need to tweeze by eyebrows? (Yes. Always yes.)

Did I blend my contour enough? (Nope. Never.)

Are my nostrils different sizes? (Left is definitely bigger.)

Are my teeth white enough? (ENTER SMILE BRILLIANT.)

Smile Brilliant provides dental quality teeth-whitening for a fraction of the cost you would pay your dentist (we’re talking less than $200!) for the Exact. Same. Treatment. AND, the exact same RESULTS! Even better? You get to whiten your teeth on your own schedule from the comfort of your own home. Let me back up.

The kindest, most helpful employee at Smile Brilliant reached out to me a few months ago to see if I would be interested in trying their whitening kit. A few days after filling out a quick questionnaire, I received a package containing everything I needed to create a mold of my teeth. This alone would have been worth the price of the kit. I felt like a mad scientist…er, dentist mixing the paste and creating my impressions. Such a fun experience!

I mailed back my impressions and received my custom whitening trays less than two weeks later. I loved that the trays were made specifically for my teeth unlike whitening kits you can buy at the drugstore. They really allowed the gel to cover every nook and cranny of my smile. Plus they came with a convenient case perfect for storage and travel.

The whitening kit came with several syringes of Teeth Whitening Gel and Desensitizing Gel as well as extensive instructions on how to use both. The process varies depending on your desired results and personal tooth sensitivity. For example, the recommended whitening session time ranges from 45 minutes up to 3 hours. A little goes a long way with the syringes as well; each one contains enough gel for three to four treatments!

The trays were comfortable to wear, easy to apply gel to, and simple to clean. I performed a few whitening sessions, but during one session, I began experiencing some gum sensitivity. My sweet Smile Brilliant consultant assured me that is totally normal. She also recommended many solutions, including a simple fix of applying vaseline or coconut oil to my gums to prevent irritation. The quick and helpful response time was actually one of my favorite things about Smile Brilliant. Every question I had through this entire process has been answered thoroughly and honestly!

After a few treatments, I realized that I was already pleased with the natural whiteness of my teeth, so unfortunately I don’t have any dramatic before and after pictures to share in this post. Luckily for you though, there are tons of real life results you can see over on Smile Brilliant’s Instagram account. Their review page is also full of incredible smiles and praise. Below is a before and after example from a fellow blogger, Nyema of Steps to Serendipity. See her full Smile Brilliant review here.

Pretty impressive, right??

I may decide to utilize my unopened syringes before they expire (they conveniently have quite a long shelf life according to Smile Brilliant), and, if so, I’ll update you with some “after” pictures then. Who knows what my incessant selfie analyzing will result in? 😉 Considering that seeing results generally only takes around 2 weeks (or less!), I may sneak in some whitening before my next big event! In the mean time, I wanted to share my positive experience using the whitening kit and receiving exemplary customer service from Smile Brilliant with you.

Perhaps the best news of all is that Smile Brilliant is giving you a chance to win your OWN whitening kit! Enter through the link below, and good luck! If you don’t want to wait to see if you win, use code hootsofanightal15 to get $15 off!

**SMILE BRILLIANT GIVEAWAY**

**This product was gifted for review by Smile Brilliant, but all opinions are my own.**

*Giveaway is open for two weeks. You MUST enter through the link to be counted. Giveaway is for $149 credit- and is open to USA, UK, Canada, and Australia residents.*

How to Whiten Your Teeth