Back to School Beauty - Makeup Palettes.

Three weeks from today my kiddos go back to school. It is both an exciting and un-nerving time for all of us. New schools, new teachers, new routines. Saying good-bye to Summer, our favorite time of year. Getting back into homework habits. Getting the kids out of the house for six hours a day. They all have their pros and cons.

The hardest thing I discover about getting back to the going back to school routine is the mornings. No matter how early we get up or how prepared I think I am, we are always rushing and pressed for time.

One of the easiest ways to shave off some time in the morning routine is by lightening up your makeup routine. One of the smartest things to invest in is a makeup palette with products for eyes, cheeks, and lips in one place.  Using a palette or kit will not only simplify your makeup application, it will cut down on the time you spend fishing through your makeup bag to find the perfect products to go with your daily look. 

There are a lot of great palettes out there, but my heart belongs to just a few. While I am just recommending those here, you would be smart to look for your own favorite to help get your look and day off to a great start.

Too Faced The Bronzed & The Beautiful Bronzing Powder palette contains the perfect selection of bronzers to take your look from Summer to Fall with ease. These bronzers and highlighters are not only for your face, they can pull double duty on your eyelids. sephora.com

Pop Beauty Backstage Buzz - No. 1 Natural Soot is available in two color combos: Midnight Soot and Natural Soot. Natural Soot contains a Duo Bronzer and Duo Cheek & Highlighter in Dusty Rose, Nude Glow, Cream Glow & Bronze Glow, three Eye Shades in Jet Black, Platinum Silver, and Nude Cream, and two Lip Glosses in Peachy Nude and Pinky Nude. sephora.com

Stilas Backstage Beauty Eye Shadow Palette - The Front Row Look has the most beautiful case, doesn't it? I am so loving that flower on the outside, which is detachable to become it's own accessory. Inside is not so bad either with three beautiful shades to create a soft smoky eye look, complete with Stilas famed Kajal eyeliner, this one in  Smokey Quartz. stilacosmetics.com

NARS Artist Palette 9941 has the perfect mix of shades for not only a quick and simple look, but a beautiful one at that. This beauty contains four shades of eye shadows, two shades of The Multiple, and four different lipsticks. The eye shadows include India Song, Night Star, Night Clubbing and Ondine. The Multiple shades are Copacabana, the perfect highlighter, and Malibu, the perfect nude pink brown, which anyone can wear. Finally, the lipstick shades in the palette are Honolulu Honey, the popular Dolce Vita, Gipsy and Trans Siberian, one of my new faves. narscosmetics.com

Laura Geller Face Folio contains not one, but two palettes with everything you need for a multitude of looks. The eye palette is filled with pressed powder, duo cream concealer, and six eyeshadows.  The Lip and Cheek palette is filled with a bronzer, blush duo, and six creamy lip colors. The folio also contains lush black mascara and a dual lip and eye pencil. You see? This kit is complete. sephora.com

Sephora Classic Blockbuster Palette is the ultimate triple tiered palette containing your beauty needs for lips, cheeks and eyes. This must-have palette is loaded with 64 eyeshadows, 32 lip colors, seven cheek colors, one translucent shimmer powder, four double-ended shadow applicators, two blush brushes, and two lip brushes. sephora.com

Bronzing Essentials - Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Summer makeup needs to be as easy as possible, right? Especially when you are wanting to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. No one wants to be in front of the mirror perfecting their face. And that includes moi!

As bronzing is key for most of us, making the application beautiful and simple is key. Sephora's Bronzing Essentials can do just this. 

 

Two multi-tasking products, plus the perfect brush to apply, with a perfect sized vinyl case to carry in your handbag or beach tote. The tri-color bronzing powder brick highlights you skin from cheeks and eyes to shoulders and even your décolletage. Brush it on all together with the great brush, or use the colors separately with an eyeshadow brush. Still easy, but possibly better for night when you want a more defined look. The shimmery peach-pink lipgloss is shiny, sweet, and a perfect color to go along with the bronzed face.

Personally, I need to add tinted moisturizer, my concealer/highlighter, and mascara but then I am done. I have it down to just about three minutes. Yes - Summer glowing, easy as 1, 2, 3.

Shop at Sephora for this great kit, which is just $30.

Philosophy's Purity Now in Foam!

I open an e-mail yesterday to learn that my favorite cleanser, Philosophy's Purity Made Simple is now available in a new foam form. I love Purity the way that it is, but if it improved on anything this just might be it: a foam to put on your face for that extra squeaky clean feel.

I do have to think though, that one of the reasons I love Purity is because it is so gentle, and the fact that you need so little, and that the little bit of liquid does all it needs to do - remove every bit of my makeup and dirt from my face, while keeping my skin soft and smooth.

 

I would think that this could be accomplished by adding more water to the product and adding in the pump. But looking at the image, it is clear. Hmmm.... is this the same formula?

"Philosophy Purity Made Simple Foaming Cleanser is a daily face wash that eliminates the toughest makeup, dirt, oil, and debris as it calms, soothes, and refines the skin. This one-step cleanser allows you to skip astringent, leaving skin feeling perfectly purified, comfortably balanced, and refreshingly clean without feeling tight afterwards."

I love my Purity as is, but I do have to try this, you know. Just because. Or at least for research reasons. ;)

If you have tried this yet, let me know what you think.  I will be picking it up this weekend, and will report back after I use it at least a few times.

Purity Made Simple High Foaming Daily Cleanser is available at Sephora only, with two sizes available. There is a 6 oz. size for $21.50 and a larger 12 oz. size for $34.50.