About Me

Welcome to my blog!  I’m Nikki, a Military Spouse and former buyer turned beauty blogger.  The military lifestyle demands flexibility, and as someone who avoids change, I needed something that could travel with me anywhere.  This site gives me a little space in this world that I never have to give up because it can move with me.  I wouldn’t change who I am as a person, but I spend much of my time focused on others, and what time is left often goes to care for basic needs.  I don’t think this is unique, but it does mean I have to put in extra effort to have fun and do things for myself.  With that in mind, you can expect to find a lot of makeup (which I find the most exciting) with some advice and, hopefully, some lifestyle content to come.

For some more context on my background, I have a long history in retail, both as a cashier and as a store manager; I’ve operated my own small business selling makeup bags and brush rolls, and I’m an experienced government buyer (sometimes called a contract specialist or purchasing agent). So, while I’ve never worked for a beauty brand, I have a strong understanding of retail, logistics, and supply chain operations. My point in telling you this is that throughout my reviews and commentary, I’m considering not just the consumer perspective but also attempting to consider what may be happening behind the scenes of these brands.  I’ve been a beauty blogger for over 10 years, starting with other websites.  I also own the website SensitiveBeautyBlog.com, which is no longer being updated, but you may have seen me on that website in the past.

Although my posts are guided by what interests me most, my aim is always to be helpful. I’m here to give you the information you need to spend your money wisely. I hope you’ll consider signing up to follow me either through WordPress or by email. You can find the follow me form on the sidebar, or if you are on mobile, it is at the bottom of the page. Thanks for reading!

My closest foundation shade match is Estee Lauder Double Wear 4W4 Hazel.  I also consider MAC Studio Fix Fluid C8 and NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Tahoe (I’m wearing this in the above photo) to be close matches.  I want to point out that C8 and Tahoe are deeper than my skin tone, but it isn’t apparent because the undertones work well. So, if you are darker than me, you may still be able to use MAC C8 and NARS Tahoe.  You can see me wearing Estee Lauder 4W4 and MAC C8 by clicking this link.  I have a warm olive, medium-deep skin tone (sometimes medium or tan, depending on the shade range).  Some other foundation shades that I can work with are L’oreal W7, Maybelline 332 Golden Caramel (only workable in the winter), Lancome 435 Bisque W, Estee Lauder 5W1 Bronze,  Estee Lauder 5W2 Rich Caramel (summer), Clinique WN 82 Latte, Clinique WN98 Cream Caramel (summer), NARS Moorea, NARS Syracuse, and ABH 365C.

I’m in my early 40s, and my skin type is dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone.  I Prefer medium coverage but appreciate it when products are buildable to full coverage.  Despite having dry skin, I don’t like products that remain tacky on the skin.  Since I have some texture issues, I prefer satin, natural, and matte finishes.

When using my swatches for guidance, please remember that lighting and differences in monitors, phone screens, and tablet screens may alter how a product looks.  Nothing looks the same in a picture as in person, so I encourage you to go to the store when possible and look at things for yourself.

If you are new here, this page will get you started.

Disclaimer: 

Unless otherwise stated, I purchased all products featured with my own money.  For my full disclosure policy, click here.

Ways to get in touch with me:

• Leave a comment at the bottom of any of my blog posts
• Have other questions or concerns that you’d like to keep private?  You can email me at editor.nikkifromhr@gmail.com

Follow me on Pinterest