Sunscreen in the Winter

I am writing this as Winter Storm Juno is hitting New York City, so I feel a little silly, but sunscreen is incredibly important no matter what time of year. I always knew that sunscreen was important. I always made sure to wear it in the summer because I have very fair skin and I use acne medicine that makes my skin burn even easier. I never really thought about how important sunscreen was in the winter though, until I did a project for my chemistry class. I go to the Fashion Institute of Technology for Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing. I did a project on anti-aging products, and that is when I learned that wearing sunscreen rain or shine, no matter what time of year is the MOST beneficial thing you can do for your skin, especially when you are young. Sunscreen is the number one product to keep your skin from premature aging, and who wants to age, especially prematurely. Even on cloudy days you have to wear sunscreen. UV rays penetrate through clouds and fog. You're probably thinking well my makeup has SPF in it so I do not need to worry, well think again. Did you know that you need to apply about six times more foundation than usual to actually get the SPF it says it contains?

Now my two favorite sunscreens are the Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion + and Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid-Lotion. I feel like many people choose not to use sunscreen because it tends to break them out. These two sunscreens do not do that, and I have the most sensitive acne-prone skin so I would know.

Shiseido's comes in SPF 50+. It is lotion, so it is a bit liquidy and you have to seriously shake it before you use it. This sunscreen is a bit pricey, but it is amazing quality so it is worth it. It is priced at $39. I use this more in the summer and especially when I am at the beach and going to be in the sun all day long.

Neutrogena's sunscreen comes in SPF 30 and 55. I use 55. It is liquid-lotion, but not nearly as liquidy as Shiseido's. I love this sunscreen because it is only about $10 at any drugstore. This moisturizes my face without making my face greasy looking. I use this during the winter months for every day use when I am not going to be outside for very long since it is a more affordable price.

What are your favorite sunscreens?

xo, Sam

Review: Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation

Say hello to Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation aka the best foundation I have ever tried. This foundation controls shine, is oil free, and provides complete coverage so it is perfect for those who have oily, acne prone skin.

I have combination skin - very oily and very dry. Since I have combination skin I mix this foundation and Origins Make a Difference Plus + Rejuvenating Treatment so the formula becomes more moisturizing. I also find that by mixing those two that I even get less shiny throughout the day than just wearing the foundation alone. It creates a flawless, powdery finish that lasts all day long.

My perfect shade is No. 20. What I love about Make Up For Ever is that they have so many different shades so every one can find their perfect match.

My favorite way to apply the foundation is with Sigma Beauty's F80 Flat Kabuki brush. It works perfectly for liquid foundations and helps create the flawless finish that this foundation provides. This is by far my favorite foundation brush.

Have you tried either of these products?

xo, Sam

Dior Addict It-Lash Mascara vs. Benefit They're Real Mascara

I have two favorite mascaras and every morning I have trouble deciding which one to use. Dior Addict It-Lash mascara and Benefit's They're Real! mascara are incredibly similar, but I love them both for different reasons. They have very similar plastic wands, which is why I was drawn to them. Both volumize, lengthen, curl, lift, and seperate the lashes.

I love the chubbiness of Dior's wand. It never clumps and creates such natural, beautiful lashes. It has a special latex gel polymer, which makes taking the mascara off at night easy breezy. (I love using Bioderma to take it off). Dior's comes in black and pink. I don't know if I would get the pink, but it sounds cool.

Benefit's has a bit thinner wand, compared to Dior's. The wand has a domed tip, which makes it easy to apply the mascara to the bottom lashes fairly easily. Benefit's mascara makes my eyelashes long and dramatic, which I love. The one problem with Benefit's is that it takes forever to get off at night, but the mascara does stay curled for much longer. Benefit's comes in black.

Ultimately, when I run out of them I will probably buy Benefit's over Dior's, but I really do love both.

The left eye has the Benefit's They're Real! mascara and the right has Dior's It-Lash mascara. If you want something dramatic, definitely go for Benefit's, but if you want something natural, go for Dior's. What are your favorite mascaras?

xo, Sam

Golden Globes Best Dressed 2015

The Golden Globes is all about fashion. To me, these four women really knocked it out of the park. I am obsessed with Dakota Johnson's metallic silver dress. She's like a disco ball, but in a good way! Emma Stone looks so chic, like usual, in Lanvin. Amal Clooney looks like pure perfection in Dior. Her outfit reminds me of something Olivia Pope would wear, for all you Scandal fans. Reese Witherspoon looks radiant in Calvin Klein. Who do you think was the best dressed?

xo, Sam

Golden Globes Best Beauty 2015

My favorite part of the Golden Globes is the beauty and the fashion. Here are my favorite beauty looks. Anna Kendrick rocked beautiful white eyeliner and rosy cheeks. Emily Blunt looked amazing in a braided up-do and a bronzy eye. Sienna Miller looked like perfection with her chic hair and glowing skin. Who do you think had the best beauty look of the night?

xo, Sam

Sunday Style

Since Friends was added to Netflix, basically all I have done is binge watch it.

Fashion is constantly going through a cycle and the 90's style is most definitely in at the moment. Rachel Green has been my fashion inspiration lately - cropped tops, denim vests, plaid skirts.

Here are similar items:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

xo, Sam

Golden Glitter

I love all things gold, especially glittery gold eyeliner. Here is my go-to look when I want to feel sparkly.

1. First I start out with eye primer, I have been using Too Faced Shadow Insurance.
2. I line my top lid with Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner, which even comes with a brush that I really love, to create a thin cat-eye look.
3. I line my bottom lid with Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in goldmine.
4. I line the bottom lid again with Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in midnight cowboy.
5. I curl my lashes with Shu Uemura eye lash curler.
6. I finish the look by using Benefit's They're Real Mascara.

This is the final look. (Ignore the little golden glitters underneath the eyeliner.)

xo, Sam