"The Manizer Sisters" Palette Review

"The Manizer Sisters" Palette Review

It is no secret that beauty lovers around the world love the Balm Cosmetics luminizing products. We all know (or if you don't know) that three of the most requested products from the Balm are Mary-Lou Manizer, Cindy-Lou Manizer, and Betty-Lou Manizer. Mary, Cindy, and Betty are three gorgeous highlighters that range from light, medium, and dark for all different skin tones. These illuminators are sold individually but as I recently discovered (where have I been???), they are also available in a trio. The amount of product that you get in the Manizer trio is less than you would if you bought them all separately, but I think its well worth it if you want to try all three of them like I did.

The Balm created beautiful and silky highlights that are just enough pigment to pack a punch on your cheeks without making you look like a disco ball. These illuminators are so creamy and smooth that they are super easy to apply and blend out in the skin. The other great thing about these products are that they are buildable. When you purchase some highlighters, you either get a very natural looking glow or you are so illuminated that you can be seen from space. With the Manizer Sisters, you can achieve both looks depending on your preference. Applying the highlighter lightly or with a fluffy brush, you can get a slight sheen that looks like you are glowing from within. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more intense highlight, you can apply the product with a more heavy hand or use a more dense brush.

The first illuminator in the palette is Mary-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light champagne beige color. It has a beautiful pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This is a stunning highlight for people who have fair to medium skin tones. This color would not work as well on darker skin tones however.

The second illuminator in the palette is Cindy-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a light dusty rose color. This highlight also has a pearl like texture when it is applied to the skin. This highlight is great for people who have medium to darker skin tones. It shows up on the skin as a beautiful pinky colored highlight. However, if you have more fair skin, this would be more of a blush topper than a highlight due to it being more of a rosy tone. I have worn this on top of a matte blush or just on its own on my cheeks instead of a blush and it is absolutely gorgeous!

The third and last highlight in this palette is Betty-Lou Manizer. This highlight is a golden bronze color. Like the first two highlighters, this product has a pearl like texture when applied to the skin. This illuminator is perfect for those who have a darker skin tone. This would not work as a highlighters for people who have fair to medium skin, but it looks gorgeous on a darker skinned person. (This is a great product because there is not a lot of highlighters out there for people who are on the darker side of the spectrum, so this would also be a great product to add to a makeup artist's kit because it has a color for everyone!) This illuminator can also be used as a glowing bronzer for people who have fair to medium skin tones.

The Balm Cosmetics "The Manizer Sisters" Palette
Price: $15.99 - $30.00
Where you can buy it: thebalm.com and select beauty supply stores

All photos by Becky Schutten.

Daily Moisturizer Guide

My Guide to Your Daily Moisturizers

Taking care of your skin is one of the most important things you can do in your beauty routine, and equally as important is adding a great moisturizer to your skincare routine. Some people are hesitant to adding a moisturizer to their regiment because they have oily skin or they don't like the feeling of a thick moisturizer on their skin, etc. However, in the beauty industry today, there are moisturizers for everyone with every different skin type and skin concerns. You just have to find the one that works best for you!

Winter/Heavy Moisturizers

Depending on where you live or what climate you are in, the cold or dry weather can take a big toll on your skin. The cold and dry weather can really strip your skin of its natural oils or dehydrate  it to the point of making it look dull and unhealthy. When this happens (or more importantly before this happens), you want to make sure that you add a moisturizer that can combat the effects of your environment. When it comes to a more harsh climate, you want to add a moisturizer that is going to pack more of a punch when it comes to the hydration department regardless of your skin type.

For people with normal to dry skin, it is a great option to go with a moisturizer that is on the thicker side of the spectrum but still soaks into your skin quickly so that you can apply a flawless makeup application without causing any disruption. This is an awesome combination because you would be getting the hydration that you need yet it wouldn't sit on top of the skin which I know some people hate the feeling of.

When it comes to people with oily to combination skin, a great option to go with is a moisturizer that is a little heavier than a light weight moisturizer but doesn't create any oily residue that is left on the skin. A huge misconception regarding people with oily to combination skin is that they shouldn't use a moisturizer because that it going to make them more oily or that it's going to make them look more oily. However, it's actually the opposite that ends up happening. When someone who's skin overproduces oil puts a moisturizer on their skin, it reduces the amount of oil that the skin is going to naturally produce. This happens because the skin does not have to overcompensate when producing oil because you are adding hydration to the skin. Even if your skin tends to be oily, it can still become dehydrated in the dry or cold weather so by using a moisturizer that adds more moisture than usual, you can reverse the effects of your skin producing too much oil.

First Aid Beauty Ulta Repair Cream
Price: $30.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Ulta, firstaidbeauty.com

Summer/Light Moisturizers

When it comes to the summer months or just plain hot and humid weather, it's a good idea to lighten up on the thickness of the moisturizer that you are using. Regardless on whether you have dry, normal, oily, or combination skin, you can find a moisturizer that is light weight yet hydrating at the same time. When the weather is hot and sticky the last thing that you want is for your moisturizer to be heavy and make  you feel even more hot than you already are. A great alternative in this situation is to use a gel (or light weight) moisturize. Gel moisturizers are an awesome option because they can still be very moisturizing but they absorb into the skin very quickly. Even better, gel moisturizers are almost undetectable on the skin when it comes to how heavy they feel. This is great for people who hate the feeling of moisturizer just sitting on their face like an extra layer since you can barely feel it after it has absorbs. The gel formula is good for all skin types during the day even if you have dry skin because you can add your extra moisture with a night cream.

Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer
Price: $27.50
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom

Overnight/Night Creams

Your overnight moisturizer or night cream is probably the most important moisturizer that you use in your skincare routine. Why? It's so important because when you are sleeping your skin is restoring and rejuvenating itself like the rest of your body. This is why picking an amazing night cream should be a top priority. There are a ton of great overnight moisturizers that can work for all skin types. When looking for a night cream, you want to make sure that it has repairing or rejuvenating ingredients in it. Like I said before since the nighttime is the time of day that your skin is restoring itself, you want your moisturizer to work the best it can for you while you are catching some zzz's. Usually repairing or restoring overnight creams are going to be on the thicker side of the spectrum but that's okay because no matter your skin type, this is the time to pack on the hydration since you will be waking up and washing your face in the morning anyway. You don't have to worry about looking a little dewy when you are sleeping.

Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins
Price: $43.00
Where you can buy it: Sephora, Macy's, Nordstrom

Remember that moisturizing your skin (no matter what your skin type) is very important! Feel free to ask from samples of moisturizers at beauty counters at your local department stores. There is no harm in testing out and sampling skincare products.

All photos are by Becky Schutten.

Eyebrow Pencils: Anastasia vs. NYX

Eyebrow Pencils: Anastasia vs. NYX

Finding the perfect eyebrow pencil can definitely be a challenge, and I have done my research for the best ones at the expense of my bank account. Just because a product has a big price tag doesn't mean it is worth the money when it comes to the quality of the product. In particular, it can be difficut to find a great eyebrow pencil regardless of the price, which makes the hunt for the perfect brow product even harder. Creating a perfect yet natural looking brow has become a huge trend, and an even bigger eyebrow tend in recent years has been Anastasia Beverly Hills. Anastasia Beverly Hills' products have made everyone in the industry really step up their game when it comes to creating amazing quality and selections in the brow department. As much as I love almost all of Anastasia's products, NYX has come out with an amazing line of eyebrow products that are comparable to the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil. These two eyebrow pencils are very similar, but the big question is: Is it worth spending a bit more money for the Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil or sparing your bank account and buying the NXY eyebrow pencil?

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
(Shade: Medium Brown)
Price: $21.00
You can buy this at: Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, and Nordstrom
http://www.sephora.com/brow-wiz-P202633?skuId=1394717&om_mmc=ppc-MSN&mkwid=ptfOvTgw&pcrid=11604371611&pdv=c&site=us_search&country_switch=us&lang=en

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is a brow pencil in a slender black and rose gold tube. The Brow Wiz comes in nine different shades which include: Taupe, Caramel, Auburn, Medium Brown, Soft Brown, Chocolate, Dark Brown, Ebony, and Granite. I think that this range of colors is a great selection for all hair colors, and they cover all of the undertones. The Brow Wiz is a duo-sided container with one side containing the actual eyebrow pencil and the other side containing a spoolie to brush the eyebrow. This eyebrow pencil is retractable so you can move the product up and down as necessary. The actual eyebrow pencil is thin and comes to a point so you can get a precise application. Since the pencil is so narrow, it allows the user to get a super precise and natural looking brow because you are able to draw hair-like stokes which creates the allusion of having a fuller or more perfect brow. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is a stern material which I personally love because I think that this gives you more control over the product which in turn makes it easier to create your desired shape. I love to set the Brow Wiz with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel. This brow gel sets the eyebrows so well without having to use too much product. A little bit truly goes a long way.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil
(Shade: Espresso)
Price: $9.99
You can buy this at: : Ulta, Target, and nyxcosmetics.com
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod12011193&skuId=2284052&CPMID=CSBING&CAWELAID=330000200000255557&catargetid=330000200000463933&CADEVICE=c

The NYX Micro Brow Pencil is a brow pencil that is in a slender black tube with white writing. The Micro Brow Pencil comes in eight different shades which include: Taupe, Blonde, Auburn, Chocolate, Ash Brown, Brunette, Espresso, and Black. I think that NYX came out with a good range of colors for someone who is looking for a brow pencil that is on the cool-toned side, but I think that they do not have as any options for people who are looking for a darker warm-toned brow pencil. The Micro Brow pencil is a duo-sided pencil that contains a pointed brow pencil on one side, and has a spoolie on the other side. The NYX brow pencil gives the same effect as the Brow Wiz, however it is a little bit harder than the Anastasia brow pencil. I know someone people love when their brow pencil is harder, but I think that it is a little harder than I would like it to be. When it comes to the presicion of the NYX Micro Brow Pencil, I think that it gives you a great result and you can obtain any shape you want with easy (you just have to use more pressure to get the color payoff you want.) The Micro Brow Pencil is by far the best eyebrow pencil I have ever found at the drugstore or for a drugstore
price!

When it comes to deciding which eyebrow pencil is worth buying, I think the results really depend on how much you want to spend or what your budget is. I personally like how my brows come out better when I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, but if I was on a money crunch, I would have no problem buying and using the NYX Micro Brow Pencil. These two eyebrow pencils are very similar to each other  and are both super stars in my eyes. However, if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the Anastasia Bevery Hills Brow Wiz because I like the fact that it is slightly more easy to work with.

All Photos By: Becky Schutten