{Splurge or Save} Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick & Brush Review

Vanish Hourglass Foundation StickA few weeks ago, I received the Vanish Foundation Stick & Brush from Hourglass Cosmetics via Influenster for testing purposes.  Its claim to fame is having the coverage of a concealer, fluidity of a liquid, and the weightlessness of a powder for undetectable full coverage.  Well….I put that to the test.  First, I selected the color from a computer screen so I worried if the foundation would even match my skin tone.  If you are a frequent reader of shemakescents.com, you know that I never leave the house without mascara or a spritz of perfume. PERIOD.  Those are my beauty standards and I take them very seriously.  Lately though, with the surge of regular women rocking fully contoured faces on the daily, I have been compelled to add to my makeup repertoire.  In the past few months, I have spent a good bit of money for drug store foundations/concealers in an attempt to discover a perfect color match and consistency.  The sad part is, I spend money on those foundations that I use   occasionally  since foundation isn’t normally in my daily routine.

Related Post: {Kiss & Makeup} The Shelf Life of the Makeup in Your Bag Right Now

Yesterday, the Mr. and I went to Sephora to pick up my birthday freebie and I decided to play with more Hourglass cosmetic products in person. As the Mr. patiently waited for me to finish, he took notice of the $46.00 price tag for the makeup brush and another $46.00 for the foundation stick.  Astonished and confused, he questioned me about who in their right mind would pay those prices.  Well, let’s look at the two products separately.

Related Post: :{Bday Swag} How to Get FREE Stuff on Your Birthday

Foundation Brush

I knew I was going to be reviewing foundation, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a complimentary Hourglass Vanish foundation brush.   I used it with the Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Almond and the “seamless finish” advertised came to life on my face.  The first week, I exclusively used the brush with the Vanish Foundation Stick and then I branched out to see if I would get similar results with brands under the $10.00 price point.  The brush created a flawless finish regardless of the foundation used with it.  Since #selfies and #usies are the millennial standard, having a secret weapon in your makeup arsenal that makes your skin look impeccable in photos and in person is worth the splurge.

Splurge or Save? : SPLURGE

Foundation Stick

As a woman of color, I often find it difficult to find makeup that doesn’t make me look chalky, too light, or too dark.  Nude doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone, you know. Like I mentioned before, I had to pick my color from a computer screen and magically, I picked the perfect color.  This is mind-blowing considering it takes me almost 20 minutes in Target to find something “close” to my skin tone.  I love that it is a foundation stick because I can use it right as I am running out the door and I don’t have to worry about a mess like what you have when you use liquid foundation on the go.  Instead of using it on my entire face, I have used it daily under my eyes to fake a “refreshed and youthful” look when I have been consistently running on 6 hours of sleep (not cool). Is it worth the $46.00 price point?  I think this one could depend on what you look for in a foundation.  I will be buying this foundation again, but it won’t be my exclusive foundation.  At a $46.00 price point, it is too expensive for daily use so I will mix it in the rotation of my drug store foundations.  

Splurge or Save? : SAVEHourglass Vanish Foundation Stick and Brush Review

cropped-logo-twitter2014.jpgWhat’s Your Go To Foundation Brand? Please share below.

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{Beauty Cents} HairspirationThat Saves Your Strands & Money

I have recently been introduced to the curling wand and while I love the results, I’m not sure my hair is loving the amount of heat that it requires to keep up the look. I don’t see a problem using it now and then, but when I first got the wand, I was using it up to three times a week….and we all know that overexposure to heat based styling tools can lead to brittle hair and split ends.  I’m trying to maintain healthy hair, especially in between salon visits, with hair styles that will save my strands, money, and time. I have found myself lacking hairspiration and it shows. Lately, I have rocked straight hair, a bun, or wash and go, which reveals my natural curls, but I’m looking forward to switching it up a bit. 

Check out these braided upgrades on my favorite hairstyles:

french tail to bun

Waterfall Plait

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Which Hair Style Do You Like Best?

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Are You Wasting Your Money on a Deal?

I got an email from Birchbox the other day announcing Glamour magazine’s collaboration for the July 2012 Birchbox. I found myself getting excited thinking about all of the goodies I will soon be getting my hands on. Then I looked over on my dresser and saw my June Birchbox basically untouched. Last month, I rushed home to see what beauty goodies were waiting for me. Once opened, I tried everything and didn’t touch my package for weeks; thus, realizing three things. Firstly, I love getting mail that isn’t a bill. Secondly, I like the idea of being surprised by what products were chosen for my box and finally (and probably the most important), if I continued this pattern, no matter how good the deal is, I am wasting my money.



Making the Deal Work for You
After coming to the realization that paying $10 a month for a deal that I wasn’t taking advantage of is wasting $10 a month( $120 a year). So what did I do? I used or am actively using ALL of the products. I ate my Luna bar, which by the way was both yummy and healthy. I took a long bubble bath, while catching up on Kardashians, with the BORGHESE Body Soak and I came to the conclusion that as long as I was using the products, that Birchbox still ROCKS!

Check out the Shopping/Money Saving Sites I like:

Birchbox
Beyond the Rack

Ideeli

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{Health & Beauty} How to Save Broken Makeup

This is an awesome and FREE beauty tip from the lovely girls over at The Beauty Department( TBD ) Lauren Conrad, Kristin Ess and Amy Nadine; who if you are not currently following, you should be .  I love The Beauty Department  because they have tons of great tips and tricks. Just the other day, I broke one of my favorite eyeshadow and was looking for a way to save it before having to replace it. Since it was brand new, I didn’t see myself going into my money envelope for yet another shade of purple eyeshadow, so I went on a hunt to find an easy fix… and voila, this is what I found.  This reminds me of when Denia taught us how to save broken lipstick.

Check it out!

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Do you have beauty tricks you’d love to share?

Let’s Conncet!

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{Health & Beauty} High-End Lifestyle Products for Only $10!!

Birchbox!!

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I have meant to write a post about Birchbox for a while now. For the unfamiliar, Birchbox is a smart, streamlined, and fun way to discover high-end beauty, grooming, and lifestyle products. Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Each month, members receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. They source samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skin care to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras all for…wait for it…$10. What I love about the concept is that you fill out a beauty profile so products will complement your individual yet beautiful tones.  There is a short waiting list and they will send you an email when your place in line is ready. 

 Join for FREE, here!

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Vintage Hair Styles at Home

I love vintage style and I especially love the Veronica Lake wave look for my hair. Here is another simpler way to recreate the look at home….

{via The Beauty Department}

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