summer makeup – Hoots of a Night Al

How to Perfectly Match Your Foundation with NYX Pro Foundation Mixer

July 25, 2019 2 Comments

Do you ever fall in love with a foundation’s coverage, but the shade range isn’t perfect for your skin tone? I’ve found a solution for you: NYX Pro Foundation Mixer!

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer laying next to IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer

One of my favorite foundations is the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation. The coverage is amazing, it’s perfect for my combination skin, and it has a built in SPF! The only issue I have is the color selection. The lightest shade is a smidge too light and the next shade is a smidge too dark. What’s a girl to do? Enter NYX Pro Foundation Mixer!

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in white being mixed with foundation

Grab your foundation, foundation mixer, a small plate, and something to mix the foundation with. You could totally do this on the back of your hand and use your finger to mix it all up, but I think that would end up wasting a bit of product. Feel free to give it a whirl, though!

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer being mixed with IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer to create a lighter shade

As you can see I pumped a few pumps of foundation, squeezed out a few drops of NYX Pro Foundation Mixer, and mixed it together with the back of an eyeshadow brush. Is that the most sanitary tool to use? Nope, but who cares. I would suggest only adding a small amount of the foundation mixer at first. You can always add a few drops if it isn’t light enough! Don’t worry if you add too many though, just add another pump of foundation to darken things up.

NYX Pro Foundation Mixer partially mixed with IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer

I find it helpful to have a foundation that matches my skin nearby for comparison to ensure I get the desired shade just right. For me that’s Covergirl Outlast All Day Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation in Classic Ivory. As you can see, I think I got my mix spot on…hooray!

Mixed foundation that matches Covergirl Outlast All-Day Stay Fabulous Foundation

I wanted to mention there appear to be NYX Pro Foundation Mixers that allow you to darken foundations as well. I haven’t tried these personally, but if that’s something you need, I’d give them a try!

I’m happy to say, this doesn’t change the consistency or wearability of whatever foundation I’ve mixed it with so far. As we head from summer into fall, you may lose a bit of your tan, but no worries! Now you won’t waste that half-used bottle of too dark foundation waiting for the sun to come back. I hope this helps you get some use out of the products that aren’t the perfect shade for you!

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

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!

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

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

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

Beauty

Wet n Wild Color Icon Metallic Liquid Lipstick

June 28, 2016 4 Comments

Wet n Wild’s Limited Edition Summer Line has been flying off the shelves lately, so I figured I would grab some of the products to try myself. The first product I sampled is the Wet n Wild Color Icon Metallic Liquid Lipstick in Chrysanthemum’s the Word.

image source Wet n Wild

It is one of 6 colors in their new Metallic Liquid Lipstick collection and is a true pink hue. The applicator is a classic doe foot style, and it picks up a great amount of product. I was able to cover most of my lips with one pass.

I was happily surprised with the pigmentation of this lipstick! With lighter colors I always worry about them looking streaky, but this was so smooth of covered my lips very well.

They definitely aren’t kidding about the metallic finish either! It catches the light so well, and it stayed super shiny the entire time I had it on.

For some reason, I expected these to dry down matte, but they aren’t advertised that way. They definitely stay wet the entire wear time, which means they will transfer.

I didn’t eat or drink while wearing this liquid lipstick, so I can’t say how well they would stay on through that. However, it did stay perfect the entire time I had it on, with no bleeding, which was a big plus.

The formula claims to be non-drying, and I think that’s a fair statement. It’s not moisturizing by any means, but at no point while wearing it my lips feel dry.

I’m usually not a glossy, shiny lip person, so this was definitely step outside the box for me, but I think I’m a fan! It’s a fun look for summertime, when I feel like everyone is drying to achieve that “summer glow.”

Plus, at $2.99, it’s totally worth the risk, if you don’t like it! Have you tried any of Wet n Wild’s summer collection? I’m trying to get my hands on the highlighting powder next! All about that summer glow, right!?! (And by that I mean the kind of glow I can achieve by applying it with a makeup brush and never seeing the sun…)

Beauty

Beauty Blurbs: NYX Matte Bronzer

April 23, 2014 5 Comments

Hey y’all! Well, the calendar may still say it’s spring, but Texas weather is already creeping towards summer! Temperatures in the 90s are quickly reminding me that any hint of summer color I had totally disappeared during winter! I figured it was the perfect time to add a new bronzer to my makeup routine, so I picked up NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium recently.

I debated between going with the light and medium shade after I swatched both. I went with medium because I was worried the light was too light, and I have an irrational hope that I will gain some resemblance of a tan over the next few months. This bronzer is definitely completely matte…shocker, I know. There’s no hint of shimmer. Any shimmer you see in the photos below is from my blush.

It was relatively easy to blend, but a little bit of product goes a LONG WAY. Seriously, one or two swipes is all I need for each cheek. A bronzer with shimmer would probably blend even easier, but I don’t think it would pack as big of a punch.

I haven’t really tried contouring, but I think this would be a great product for a powder contour. The fact that it blends well and comes in five shades means there should be a good color for everyone. If you’re not sure which shade is right for you, try to find a store that has NYX testers available. My local Ulta has tester products for the entire NYX line, so I’m able to swatch anything before I purchase it.

This bronzer only costs around $10, so it’s a pretty inexpensive way to amp up your beauty routine for the warmer months to come. Let me know if you have a favorite bronzer I need to try!