High-End Foundations

Hi everybody! Guess what - I am finished with all my finals for the semester, which means that I have time to write a new blog post.

Today, I'm going to be talking to you guys about my high-end foundation collection. These are all liquid foundations that work for my skin type personally, which is combination/oily and mildly sensitive. I do have some redness in my skin, but I find that each of these foundations covers that up without any problems.

Also, just a disclaimer, I bought my first high-end foundation about a year ago, and I have been building up my collection ever since. I did not buy these all at once, and I have had time to test each of them out and give you a full and honest review.

Makeup Geek Eye Shadow Haul + Collection

Since it has been 3 billion years since I last uploaded anything to Magpie Beauty, I'm not going to get into a novel-lenth apology or try to explain how busy I've been the last few months. Instead, I'm going to get right into this post.

I have not been buying much makeup lately, so I decided to reward myself by adding 5 Makeup Geek eye shadows to my collection. Before this purchase, I had 7 of them in a palette already. These eye shadows are $6 a piece, which is half the price of MAC eye shadows, and they are such high quality. I have only tried the matte formulas, but they are super pigmented, and they also blend out really easily.

Making Over my Friends

Hi everyone! Last night, I did something I've never done before - I gave two of my friends makeovers. Now, I know I have shown some Before and Afters on this blog before, but they have always been pictures or tutorials of me doing my own makeup. My beautiful friends, Jane and Patricia, both have blonde hair and blue eyes unlike myself, so I thought this would be something different and something fun. The only person I have ever done makeup on besides myself before is my sister, so this was a fun way for me to practice doing makeup on other people, and I think the makeovers turned out pretty well! I'll be showing some pictures, and then I will list the products I used on each of them.

First, we have Jane!

 

Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale

Hi there! Today's blog post is going to be short and sweet - a change for me! I will be posting a skincare routine sometime in the near future, but I'm really working on whipping my skin into tip-top condition before I put that up! So for now, we're going to talk about the Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale.

"We Love Eyes" Eye Makeup Remover

Hi all! I realize it's been another two weeks since I've put up a new blog post, and again, I'm sorry! I was out of town for the last two weekends, so I'm just now getting back into the swing of things. Today I'm going to be reviewing two products from a new company called We Love Eyes.

Battle of the BB Creams: Drugstore vs. High End

Hello there! It looks like Tuesdays are going to be my usual blog posting days for the summer. In this post, I'm going to be reviewing two different BB Creams.

Summer 2015 Fashion/Beauty Haul

Hello again! Today's blog post is going to be something I've never done before, and I'm not sure how it will work out in this format because, usually, hauls are done in video format. I'm hoping this won't be too boring for you all, but I've been doing some shopping over the past month or so, and I wanted to share with you everything I've been stocking up on for this summer. It is all either fashion or beauty-related, and, as I don't have access to my university's filming equipment while I'm at home, I thought I would take some pictures and put them all in a post.

There's the collective haul! Some of this I ordered online, and other things I bought in-store. The places I shopped from include Forever 21, Torrid, The Limited, Swimsuits For All, Ulta, Sephora, and Lush. Let's get started!

Treating Your Under Eyes Right

Hello! I have to start off this post by apologizing for how long it has been since I last wrote anything for you all. It's been almost three weeks, and I really am so sorry! The minute I got home from school for the summer, I started a new job, and today is actually my first day off, so I had some time to write this review. You can go ahead and scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to see an amazing video of the store I work at.

Today, I'm going to talking about a few under eye-related products that I have been loving and that leave my under eyes crease-free every time.

Makeup Tutorial Series Part 3: My Go-To Eyes, Brows, and Lips

Hello everybody! This is the third and last installment of my Makeup Tutorial Series. The first video was on my Full Coverage Foundation and Concealer Routine, and the second video was on my Contour and Highlight Routine. This last video is a tutorial on how I achieve my go-to eyes, brows, and lips. I have created a playlist on YouTube if you want to watch all three videos for a complete full-face tutorial. This will probably be my last video for a while because, after this semester, I won't have access to the Journalism department's filming equipment at my school. Anyway, thanks so much for watching, and I hope you enjoy!




Don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see what I'm up to every day.

Makeup Tutorial Series Part 2: Contour and Highlight Routine

Hi everyone! This is going to be the second video in my Makeup Tutorial Series, and I'm showing you how I contour and highlight my face. If you haven't seen the first video, I did a tutorial on my Full Coverage Foundation and Concealer Routine. I hope you find these videos helpful, and there will be one more after this on my go-to eyes, brows, and lips.

Thanks so much for watching! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter for daily mini-posts.

Makeup Tutorial Series Part 1: Full Coverage Foundation and Concealer Routine

Hi all! This video is going to be the first in a three-part series makeup tutorial. Here I showed you how I achieve my full coverage foundation and concealer routine. The second video will be on my contour and highlight routine, and the last video will show you my go-to eyes, brows, and lips. Once they're all finish, it will create a full-face makeup look! Thanks for watching.


Don't forget to check out my Twitter and Instagram to find out immediately when I put up new videos and blog posts.

HOW TO: Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes gather a lot of bacteria, especially if they are used every day. Today, I am going to show you how I clean my makeup brushes. I have tried a couple of different methods, but this is by far the fastest and most efficient way I have found of cleaning them. I recommend washing your brushes about once a week if you're doing your makeup every day, but if you only use your brushes once or twice a week, you could probably get away with washing them once every two to three weeks. Cleaning them is important if you want to avoid breakouts from transferring all of that bacteria to your face over and over again.

I did a previous blog post All About Makeup Brushes if you are interested in what kinds of brushes to use for different makeup applications.

These are the items I used:

Colourpop Cosmetics Eyeshadow Review

In this video, I review six eyeshadows from Colourpop Cosmetics. They are only $5 a piece, and they are the most pigmented eyeshadows I have ever used.  Enjoy!

My Instagram and Twitter.

Empties/Products I've Used Up

Hi all! Today I am going to be doing some quick reviews on my empties, or the products I've used up, and letting you know if I've repurchased them or what I've bought to replace them.

The Liebster Award

Earlier this week, I was nominated by theflowerthatblooms for the Liebster Award, which is basically an award that only exists on the Internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers, and it follows the principles of a chain letter in the sense that it should be passed forward to a certain number of people. If you're nominated, you answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you, and then you nominate other blogger and ask them 11 questions of your own. First, I would like to thank Rachel and Lauren for nominating me and invite you all to check out their blog from the link above.

Iowa City Beauty Salons: Buzz and Zen

Sometimes, you just need to make a trip to the salon and pamper yourself. Buzz and Zen are two Iowa City salons that have been around for decades and offer a wide variety of services.

Click to visit the Buzz Salon and the Zen Salon and Spa websites.

The Do's and Don'ts of Face Primers

Face primers are not for everyone. People have all different skin types, but I have found in most cases that primers tend to do more good than bad. They extend the longevity of your makeup, and they create a smooth canvas for foundation. Depending on the primer, some of them blur out pores, fine lines, and they can even help to counteract redness.

Current Beauty Trends and What Consumers Want Out of their Products

Abby Lowry worked at a Sephora for three years while she was in high school, and now she makes monthly trips to the department store to check out what is new at the beauty counters.

All of the products from Clinique that Abby mentioned can be found here.

Click here to find out more Spring 2015 Beauty Trends.

Makeup brands that do not test on animals are listed here.

My Five Favorite Concealers

Concealer can be used to hide blemishes, to cover up dark circles underneath the eyes, and to highlight the face. I've picked out five of my favorite concealers (because, let's face it, six would just be insane) to swatch and review for you all. Three of them are from the drugstore and all coincidentally by Maybelline.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup Review

The Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation has been a staple in the makeup world for years, but what makes it so great? I have been trying it out and all the hype is completely justified. No drugstore foundation comes close to the quality of this product.

Drugstore Skincare Ingredients Pale in Comparison to High End

Skincare is the most important part of any beauty routine. A quality regimen can make a huge difference in a person’s complexion. The question is, why do high end products cost so much more than the ones from the drugstore?

           

The answer comes down to ingredients. That $5 face wash from CVS is so cheap because it contains many basic – and even some harmful – ingredients.

“I don’t bother with beauty products from the drugstore anymore. They just don’t cut it, and a lot of them have really harsh chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and alcohol that strip the skin of all its nutrients,” said Jessica Arnold, an esthetician from the Esteé Lauder counter at Younkers in the Coral Ridge Mall.

The most common paraben found in low-budget skincare is methylparaben. According to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, it is a preservative that can disrupt the body’s hormones and natural cellular levels.

The products below all have benefits, but the First Aid Beauty cleansers and the Clinique moisturizers have had the biggest impact on my skin.

Eyeliners and Lip Crayons: Drugstore vs. High End

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since I put up a new blog post, but I went home to celebrate my birthday last weekend and didn't have time to post any new content. Don't forget to follow my Instagram and my Twitter accounts (both @_magpiebeauty) for daily beauty pictures and to find out when I post something new immediately!

I've started collaborating on this niche site with my Digital and Social Media class, and I have a lot of exciting ideas for new stories coming up.

Today I wanted to talk about some new products I've been trying out lately. The first two items I'm going to be comparing are liquid eyeliners.

Winter Glam Makeup Look

Hey everybody! I hope you're all doing well. I know it hasn't been a full week since my last post, but I don't have class on Fridays, so I had some time on my hands yesterday!

Today, I'm going to be showing you the products I used to create the makeup look above, and talk you through how I used everything. Almost all of the items I used are from the drugstore, so if you feel like recreating the look, you might already have some of the makeup in your collection.

New Items from Milani Cosmetics

Hi all! I know I've been putting up a new blog post about every 4 days or so, but I'm back at school and work now, so my schedule probably won't allow for more than one blog post a week. I'll try to post pictures on Instagram (@_magpiebeauty) at least every other day though so follow me there if you want to see mini product reviews and makeup looks more often.

Onto the imporant stuff! Today I'm going to be swatching and reviewing some new products from Milani Cosmetics that I finally got my hands on! They came out with a few new collections a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't find them anywhere when I was home, but thankfully, I found them at the CVS near where I go to school.


The items I was dying to pick up the most were the Color Statement Moisture Matte Lipsticks.

The Products from Origins that are Saving my Skin

Hello everyone! I hope your week has been going well - fear not, Friday is almost here. Since my last blog post (All About Makeup Brushes) was so ungodly long, this one is going to be a much quicker read.

I haven't been using either of these products for very long, so this isn't going to be an in-depth review, but I just wanted to let you guys know what products I've been loving lately that are really helping out my skin.

So here they are.

All About Makeup Brushes

Hi all! Today I'm going to be talking about makeup brushes - how to use them, which products they work best with, and how much they cost. This certainly won't cover every kind of makeup brush ever made, not even close, but I'm going over the majority of my personal collection. I have more brushes than I'll ever need, but what's a girl to do?

I recently washed my brushes, and I figured this was as good a time as any to photograph them. I'd also like to thank my cousin Grace for the idea to do this post. This is going to be a long one so feel free to skip ahead to the section your interested in.

The Logo and the Artist

As you might have noticed, I have a brand new logo! This painting, titled "Maggie's Magpie" was done by my amazingly talented aunt, Pam Ek, who is an artist from Champaign, IL.

I can't get over how beautiful this is, but all of her artwork is really stunning. She does a lot of water color paintings of birds, flowers, butterflies, and fish.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation

Hi everyone! I hope you've all been keeping warm in this crazy weather. Today I wanted to review two products from Tarte Cosmetics that I tried out yesterday and fell in love with instantly.

They are the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation and the Tarte Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation Brush.

Cleansing without the Clarisonic

Today, I want to talk to you guys about a few cleansing products I invested in recently. The first is a cleanser that most of you have probably already heard of, which is the Purity Made Simple by Philosophy.

I bought this little sample size from Ulta a few weeks ago for $10. It comes in two larger sizes (8 oz. and 16 oz) that cost $23 and $35. It's a lot of money for a face wash, and I've only been using it for a short time, but I think it's worth every penny. Even on its own, my face feels so clean after every use, without being stripped dry.

Best Mascaras of 2014

Like most makeup lovers, I am an avid mascara collector.

"They're all the same," some people might say.

I'm here to prove those people wrong. 2014 was the year of some of my personal favorite mascaras, ranging from drugstore to high end. I'm going to show you the six mascaras that I cannot live without, starting with the high end products and then finishing up with the drugstore.

Without a doubt, six mascaras is a tad excessive, perhaps even obsessive. Okay, I have an addiction. It could be worse. I could be addicted to heroin or crystal meth. But no, boring old Magpie only has eyes for mascara. Ba dum tss.

About Magpie Beauty

My name is Maggie, and this is my first attempt at a beauty blog. I'm an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa, and my beauty obsession has been developing since high school. I don't have much content yet, but this is all new to me, and this blog is definitely a work in progress. 

I hope you all will enjoy what I have to offer - makeup, skin care, and hair product reviews, maybe a few tutorials along the way, swatches of new products I buy, different things like that. I'm not looking for anything other than a way to share my passion for beauty with anyone who cares to listen.

I'm open to comments and suggestions, so don't be afraid to speak your mind here. I'll be getting started with my first product reviews as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!