Saturday, October 30, 2010

Nars Angelika Blush

$26

Nice Swatch lol

Just a quick post on my new favorite, Nars Angelika blush. I needed a new blush that was a light pink color and stumbled across this one at Sephora. It isn't exactly a light pink blush, more like a bright pink with small glitter throughout. It is a very pretty color and gives such a pretty bright pink color to the cheeks. Beware: it is VERY pigmeted!!! So for me the biggest challenge is trying to apply it with the slightest of hand! I'm used to Mac's Well Dressed which is such a light pink that you need build up the color. However, for Angelika you only need the tiniest bit on the brush for it to show up brightly. I really am loving this blush! So if you want a bright pink blush, you might want to check out Angelika. Also, Sephora.com is having the Friend's & Family 20% off sale till Nov. 3rd. (just enter FF2010 code in the promotion box). I forgot about the sale when I ordered online...I called Sephora and they said they couldn't apply the discount to my order after the fact. So annoying!~But I am happy to share it with others. :)

What's your favorite blush?

Next up:

Favorite Mac Lipsticks

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Urban Decay Naked Pallet!



Urban Decay Naked Pallet $44

I was in Sephora yesterday and saw the Naked Pallet. I've looked at the pallet before in the store and always thought about getting it, but it was always sold out. But today, there was one left so I decided to buy it.
This pallet comes with Urban Decay Primer Potion (an eyeshadow base) and a double sided 24/7 eye pencil in Zero and Whiskey. I've been wanting to pick up these eye pencils for a long time too!

I was amazed at the pallet and how many colors it had that I would use on an everyday basis. I guess that's the whole point of the pallet since it designed for neutral looks! From light colors to neutrals, to darker browns this pallet has countless looks that you can create that are work/school appropriate.

From Left:
Virgin, Sin, Buck, Side Car, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Hustle, Creep, Gun Metal.

I love the color Virgin (1st shadow on left) and Sin that are great colors for the lid/highlight/and inner corner of the eye. I also love Smog and Half Baked as well.

Side Car is also really pretty but it is very shimmery. I feel like I may need to apply this wet to get it to apply with less fall out.

Overall thoughts:
Since I have only had this for a day, I can't really give a full review. I will update with my full thoughts later on. With that said, in just using this for a day, I am really loving this pallet. Since many of the shadows are shimmery they do have a lot of fall out when applying. However, this is a great pallet for work and just when you want a pretty, but more neutral look. Also, it's great for travel since you can bring this one pallet with you.

What are your favorite shadows using this pallet?

What are your favorite neutral shadows of any brand?


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Favorite New Nail Polish


I know I haven't posted in a while, but decided to do a post on my favorite fall nail polish colors. I love the fall for the dark nail polish colors. These go perfect with a nice neutral eye look!

Essie: Little Black Dress

I got this color last week and have been wearing it ever since. This is a great dark color for fall since its a very warm color with a really nice sheen. Although it can appear almost black at quick glance, under the light it's a true brown. I wasn't sure how I'd like brown nails, but it looks really pretty on.

Yodel Me on My Cell, Metro Chic, Do You Lilac It?, Russian Navy

Loves these!~Yodel Me On My Cell is a really pretty blue with turquoise reflects. This is a shimmery fun color!

Metro Chic: Very pretty lilac/gray and more of a matte shade.

Do You Lilac It: Bright lilac color...my go to fall nail polish!~I've gotten so many compliments on this!

Russian Navy: Dark blue/purple. Love this color because it really looks different in every light. Sometimes it's very dark blue but then the light will hit it and you'll see dark purple. Great fall color!

Depending on where you get these the prices will vary. Sally's Beauty Supply, Ulta and online should have these! Also, Metro Chic is Sephora by Opi so try Sephora for that one.

Websites:



Next up:
More Fall Favorite Nail Polishes.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

New Fav. Blushes!

I am back...finally!~I have a lot of new Makeup items that I picked recently that I will be posting in the next few days. I definitely need to get better with more frequent posting!

Nars Orgasm

So the other day I was at Sephora and was looking at the Nars display. I have admired all the Nars products for so long and so many people have said great things about the brand. However, I have never owned anything from Nars before. I decided to start small and just get a blush...In swatching many of the blushes, I opted for the famous Orgasm. I decided on this one because it's a really pretty pale pink/peachy color. It does have some shimmer, but I don't think it is too much at all. It is great for summer and gives a great glow. I have light skin and it shows up great on my skin tone. This blush is VERY pigmented so I think it would work for darker skin tones as well.

I apply this product using a Sigma/Mac 168 angeled brush to the apples of my cheeks. I use a very light hand with this because it is very pigmented. I then like to apply Mac's Mineralize skinfinish in By CandleLight (Into the Groove Collection), using a 116 brush to my cheek bones. After that, I take a small amount of Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat with the same brush, and sweep it over my cheeks. I find that this combination gives me a great summery glow.


Mac MSF
Petticoat

All of these products are dupe-able, so you can find lots of alternatives if you don't want to buy Nars or Mac. You can purchase any peachy/pink blush and a highlighter at the drugstore. Physician's Formula Shimmer Strip works great as a highlighter and this can be bought at CVS. Happy rest of summer!

What is your favorite Blush Combo for summer?

Up Next:

Mac's Fab. Felines
August Favorites
Favorite Lipsticks
Nailpolish

Saturday, July 17, 2010

In The Groove Collection/Dazzle Lipstick!




From Left: Petticoat, By Candle Light Mineralize Skinfinish
Win Win Dazzle Lipstick

So I have finally gotten this post up!~I've been wanting to get this posted for a long time since I purchased these items from Nordstrom on the 8th. I did a pre-order at the MAC counter when I was in the store one day. I am sad to say that I did not get Stereo Rose because I thought it would be too dark for my fair skin tone. Now looking back, I probably should have purchased it as well because everyone's going crazy over it!~Oh well! Instead, I chose Petticoat and By CandleLight MSF. I'm really happy with both of these and think they are great for summer. They both give a really pretty glow to the face when applied. Pictures are shown below:


Petticoat Mineralize Skinfinish
$28

Love this so much!~It's a gorgeous pink, gold/shimmery color that works great as a blush. I've been wearing it on my cheeks each day and it gives a great glowy look. I chose one that had less of the darker red veining because I wanted more of a pink tone. So I would suggest asking at MAC to see a few different Petticoat MSFs before purchasing so you can choose one that's right for your skintone. If you are lighter maybe go with less darker veining, and if you have a darker skintone you may want to get one with more darker veining. It is also very pigmented, so for me I apply with a light hand using my Mac 129 blush brush.


By Candlelight Mineralize Skinfinish

This is a really pretty MSF! It works great as a highlighter just above the cheekbones and really gives a pretty glow. It also adds a little bronzing effect as well since it is a tan, gold color. This product is a little on the sheer side so you can apply alot without looking crazy highlighted. I've been using this everyday with Petticoat and find that it looks really pretty. I've been first applying By Candlight just above my cheekbones with the side/flat part of the 129 brush, and then with the tip of the 129, applying Petticoat. Love these two products together!

Swatch of Petticoat and By Candlelight Above:


Nordstrom Exclusive:
Digipops Collection

Dazzle Lipstick
Win Win


Loving this color! It is a very pretty bright pink with fine specks of glitter built in. It has amazing staying power and I find that the glitter is not annoying or grainy at all. I did a swatch below and had to scrub my hand to get the swatch off!~This collection debuts first at Nordstrom stores and then it should appear in most MAC stores/counters in August. There are also a range of colors from corals, to purples, deeper reds, gold, etc.
View Nordstrom's Website to take a look!

Swatch of Win Win. It looks actually lighter on camera, it appears to be a brighter color in person.


What is your favorite product of In The Groove?


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Monday, July 5, 2010

Summer Favorites Part 1





Starting from the Right:

MAC 217 Brush:

Love this for applying eye shadow to the crease. It's great for applying and placing color into the crease so easily! It's also works well for blending.

Sigma 168: (old numbering system)

I've been using this brush for a while and have been loving it. I've had this brush for about a year now and it seriously has held up soo well! It still looks brand new!~Yay Sigma!~
The brush works so well for me when I apply blush to the apples of my cheeks. Since it is slanted, it gives the perfect application of a not too bright, and not too dull blush look.

MAC also sells this brush and it looks almost identical. This brush is available at Sigmamakeup.com but it may be called something different due their new numbering sytem.

Benefit Powderflouge:

I won't say too much about this product since I already did a post on this. However, I've been using it everyday to set my MAC Studio Finish Concealer. Loving this and it works great!

MAC SE 227 Brush:
(Short handled brush in the middle)

This brush came with a holiday brush set that I got last Christmas. I love it for adding a highlight to my brow bone and also blending out the edges of my eye shadow looks once I am done with application. MAC and Sigma also sell the full sized 227. I'd really like to pick up the larger version of this brush!

Holiday 2009 Warm Eyes Pallet:

I won't say too much about this since I just did a post on this. But this is a great pallet of neutral eye shadows, for everyday looks!

Mac Studio Finish Concealer:

Great concealer that is very good for covering dark circles and also very blendable. I also have a post on this, if you want more info!

Tweezerman Tweezers

I got these a few months ago and am loving them! They work so well compared to my other old random tweezers. They were $20 at Ulta, if I remember correctly. You can also get them at Sephora or Sephora.com.

Opi Nailpolish in Lucky Lucky Lavender

I just got this about a month ago and am loving the color. It's just a pretty bright lavender that's great for summer. You can get this online, Sephora and Ulta also sell Opi nail polish.

Urban Decay Primer Potion
Sin

Love this product! It is great to use as an eyeshadow base because it gives off a gorgeous champaign shimmery color that is great for light colored eye shadows such as: Mac's Nylon, All That Glitters, Retrospeck, or any others!~You can also wear this alone with a darker color in the crease to create a great look as well. You can purchase this at Sephora, Ulta, or Urban Decay's website.

Benefit's Bad Gal Lash Mascara

This was my first mascara by Benefit and it really is such a great product. It works really well to separate and lengthen each individual lash. I find it the best mascara for my bottom lashes because it doesn't make them look too thick. The wand on this mascara is very large which is probably why it works so well at lengthening!

Morrocan Oil

I just picked this up a few weeks ago for my hair and it's already become a favorite. It works really well to smooth out any frizz in my hair. After washing my hair, I put it on the ends/half way up (just not on the top since it will make your hair greasy) when my hair is damp. Then style as usual. It gives my hair a lot of shine and I notice that it feels a lot softer. You can purchase this online or at a beauty supply store that sells hair products.

Mac 219 Pencil Brush

This brush is great for adding a darker eye shadow color to the outer v area. I use this particular brush for adding lighter colors to the inner corner of my eye. I find that this works really well to just brighten up my eye with a color like MAC's Nylon. Sigma also has a pencil brush that will work very well for this!

Cotton Rounds

I included these last minute because I have been using these to take off my eye makeup. I put some eye makeup remover on one of these and gently remove my eye makeup. These really do the job well and are not harsh on my skin. I purchases these from CVS and they come 80 to a pack for about $2.99. I only use one a day so they really last a long time! You can get these basically at Walmart, Target or any beauty supply store.


What are your Summer Favorites?

Next Up:

Makeup Remover Tip
Mac Haul
Mac Eyeshadow Highlight Pallet




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Friday, July 2, 2010

MAC Neutral Pallet

So here I'm finally going to post my MAC Neutral Pallet. I've been filling my pallet for a very long time!~It's not something that I bought all at once!~The eye shadows in pallet form are $11 each verses the $14.50 if you were to buy them in the compact. The pallet itself is $15, but you are saving in the long run if you were to buy 15 shadows in the compact.

This pallet is great to create very neutral, summery and glowy eye looks. These are my favorite go-to colors that are great for a day or even night look.


Shadows From the Top Left Going Across to the Right:

Top Row: All that Glitters, Honey Lust, Mythology, Paradisco, Amber Lights
Middle Row: Era, Patina, Woodwinked, Bronze, Tempting
Bottow Row: Sable, Mulch, Twinks, Antiqued, Handwritten




This looks great with Mac's Raven Eye Kohl on the upper lash line.

What are your favorite neutral eye shadows?

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Item of the Week!


This week's item is something that has been sitting in my collection since I've gotten it! So sad because it's so great and I am now loving it! It's the Mac Warm Eye Shadows Pallet from the Holiday 2009 Collection. I received it as a gift for Christmas, and I even went and picked it out with my mom who bought it for me! I just never really ended up using it because I was using different shadows on a daily basis. So...I stumbled upon these shadows this week and have been creating looks using these colors! I also have added a few more shadows to create a great summery look.

I love these colors because they are very neutral and are great for work, and also great for the summer. Below is a picture of the pallet:


Colors:
Oh My Darling (Frost), Dare Ya! (Veluxe Pearl)
Sorcery (Satin), Gold tease (Frost)
Prankster (Veluxe Pearl), Devilishly Dark (Frost)

I'm not quite sure which color is which since the names are not ones which I'm familar with. However, I have been using the lightest as a highlight, Nylon on the inner corner, top right color on the lid, top middle (gold color in the crease mixed with Woodwinked), top left and bottom left on the inner corner (using my Mac 219). Love this look and I've been wearing it all week. It gives just a very pretty not too subtle neutral look!

I then have been using Mac's Blackline Powerglide Pencil eyeliner on the top lashline, and Mac's Smolder Eye Kohl on the waterline. For mascara, Benefit's Bad Gal Lash Mascara.

If you don't have this pallet you can definitely adapt these colors to create a similar look.
For Mac shadows, good dupes for this look would be:
Nylon: inner corner, All That Glitters: lid, Woodwinked and Amber Lights: crease, Beauty Marked or Sketch: outer v.

Also, the drugstore has many quads that you can pick up to create a similar look. Covergirl and Maybelline have similar shadows. A great dupe for Mac's Nylon is Covergirl's Champaign eye shadow.

What is your favorite Item of the Week?

Next post:

Mac Neutral's Pallet....(which is going up right after this post!)

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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Item of the Week!

Bronzing Powder
MAC Golden Bronzer
$22


So Item of the Week is kinda late...I wanted to put it up yesterday, but it's here now!~In my quest to use items in my makeup collection, I discovered a bronzer that I bought a few months ago. I always do this with bronzers/blushes, buy them and then forget I have them. So I found my bronzer which is Mac's Golden Bronzer and have been using it all week. The bronzer is tan shade with some golden shimmer, and it's really pretty and just gives a nice bronzed look. I stopped using it in the winter months because it is VERY pigmented and with a heavy hand can look like way too much bronzer! So I use this very sparingly to avoid that look! I apply it with my SS187 and just put a little starting at my temples and the going to my cheeks. I do the "3 e" to apply. I'm sure some of you are familar with this, if not you are essentially just making a number 3 on your face with your bronzer, starting at your temple, then your cheek and then underneath to the hollow of your cheek. This will give you a nice bronzed look.


MAC has many bronzers to choose from that you can try out to match with your skin-tone. My skin is pretty fair and the Golden can be a bit dark for me. However, it is fine with a light handed application. I would ask the MAC Makeup Artist for some help on matching a shade. Or, just do some swatches of different bronzers to compare!

Also, there are many drug store bronzers that are good as well. I've used Physician's Formula Shimmer Strip as a bronzer and loved this product. I am definitely going to repurchase because I used mine up. This product is about $12 at the drug store, and it also can be used as eyeshadow. I got mine at CVS, so check it out next time you're there!

Next Post:

Summer Neutrals MAC Palette

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Item of the Week!




Beauty Marked is a dark almost black/deep violet/red with shimmer. It is perfect to darken up the outer V. I've been using it all week to deepen up a neutral eye look that I wear to work. It looks great with Mac's Bronze eyeshadow that I wear in the crease. You can pair this with a light color such as Nylon on the lid.

Beauty Marked on Left-Blended out....Mac's Bronze on Right

Beauty Mark also works great to smudge under the lower lash line, or to layer it on top of a gel eyeliner to help it stay in place!

What's you favorite item of this week?

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Sunday, June 13, 2010

Mac To The Beach Fire Cracker Eyeshadow



I wanted to post about my favorite eye shadow from the To The Beach Collection. I know there are soo many reviews out there of this collection, so I won't go into a review of every product that I purchased. I'm sure you've seen the reviews out there! I wanted to talk about an eye shadow that I picked up with this collection.

I picked up Fire Cracker eye shadow which is a Veluxe Pearl finish. Veluxe Pearl finishes aren't my favorite because they do tend to have fall out unless you be sure to tap off your brush before applying!~Fire Cracker is an orange/red/coral color. It is very bright and pigmented so I like to counteract that with a more neutral eye. I usually wear it with nylon in the inner corner, Fire Cracker on the lid, Woodwinked in the crease, Bronze in the outer v and Beauty Marked just in the outer v. I feel like just gives a nice balance to the more bright color that is Fire Cracker.
So if you're looking for a bright summer color, then this may be the eye shadow for you!


What is your favorite summer eye shadow look?

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Sunday, June 6, 2010

Revlon Photo Ready Foundation



This post is going to be about Revlon Photo Ready Foundation (notice the title!) . I got this foundation a few weeks after purchasing (and loving!) Revlon Color Stay, so I thought I would give Photo Ready a try as well. I had heard a lot of good things about this foundation so I was very excited to try it. I was expecting it to be a lot like Color Stay but found out that it really is a completely different formulation. So here goes my review on this product:

I picked up Revlon Photo Ready at the Drug Store and it was around the same price as Color Stay, about $9.00. Sometimes CVS will have buy one Revlon product and get another for 50% off. But either way, $9.00 is pretty good for a drug store foundation.

Revlon Photo Ready is oil free which is good because oil free foundations really help my skin stay free of break outs. It also has SPF 20 which helps to protect your skin from the UV Rays..especially during the summer time! In addition, it also has a pump that makes application so much easier.

I really like the formulation of this product, which is very easy to blend. It has a good texture which glides on very smoothly when applying. As stated in my last post, the Revlon Color Stay I found more difficult to blend....

To apply, I like to use a combination of my fingers at first and then use my Mac 187. As you might already know if you use or have heard about this foundation, that it does have a shimmer to it. I find the shimmer to be very subtle and you can just pick it up if you are under a bright light. I don't find this to be too much shimmer at all. This foundation has about medium coverage and is not heavy at all. The staying power is not quite as good as Color Stay, but it will last throughout the day. When I wear this foundation, I do not to reapply my powder to stay more matte. With revlon Color Stay, I find that I don't need to reapply powder during the day.

However, I do really like the Photo Finish because I really gives a nice finish on my face and it looks very summery and glowy. On the down side, it doesn't really have many shades to choose from but I did find a good match. If I had to choose I would pick the Revlon Color Stay just because it has better staying power and my color is a closer match to my skin tone. But, if you'd like a nice foundation for the summer this foundation is worth a try!





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Sunday, May 23, 2010

Benefit PowderFlage


Benefit PowderFlage
$28



I like to use this product to set my normal concealer in the under eye area. I use MAC's Studio Finish Concealer (see last post!)...and then layer the PowderFlage right on top. It does a good job in setting the Studio Finish and also brightening up the under eye area. I find it to work pretty well, but it's not an amazing concealer. It isn't heavy coverage at all, more like light to medium coverage for a concealer. It really is more like a powder that has brightening properties.

So over all, I think this works well to set my concealer so it will stay throughout the day. In addition, it does a good job at brightening up any dark circles you might have. I do like this product but probably wouldn't repurchase once I finish it. Only because I'm not sure that it gives that good of coverage when I already use a concealer. However, this product will last a really long time because you only need a small amount. I've had it for a while now and use it everyday, and the little container it comes in is almost full...so you will definately have it for a long time!~If it were cheaper than $28, I would consider buying it again.

So if you would like a product to set your concealer in and have good staying power throughout the day, then you may really like this product.

For anyone that has purchased this product, what are your thoughts?

More posts to come soon! I think I'm on a roll!



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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Concealers Mac Studio Sculpt vs. Studio Finish

Another post that I have been meaning to do for a while now! I had been trying to find a concealer that I like and think works well...I mean, who doesn't! I wanted a concealer for the under eye area to conceal the area and give better coverage. I don't have dark under eye circles, but for me if that area is not concealed I will look very tired! So alas my search for a good concealer. I had used some drug store concealers like Cover Girl (I don't even remember the name of the exact product) and they worked fine. But I decided to try a Mac concealer because I'd heard many good things about them. So here's my review on Mac's Studio Sculpt:



$16.50
Studio Sculpt Concealer:

I found the consistency of this product to be very thick. When I would put it on I would only need a tiny bit, which is good. However, it was very difficult to blend out because it was so thick. It would provide good coverage if you need a more heavy coverage under your eyes. It also does a good job of concealing blemishes as well. I also didn't get the correct shade which could have been part of the problem, but I just couldn't get passed the consistency and thickness of it.

Overall: A good product if you need heavier coverage for your under eye area.
Shade Matching: Ask the MAC Makeup Artist for help if you're unsure about your shade. For concealer I like to wear a shade lighter than my foundation so it blends in. That was my mistake with the Studio Sculpt!~Also, I found the NW shades to be very yellow toned which on my skin tone did not work....maybe it's the product or could be just did not match me at all!




$16.50
Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer

I recently purchased this product after finishing the Studio Sculpt. I really love this concealer! It is not thick at all but provides really good coverage that I find is easy to blend. It is also very smooth and easy to apply. I found a shade that matches very well with my skin tone. On the plus side, it also has SPF 35 which I didn't know till I looked on the MAC website. So all in all, I think this concealer is great for those that would like medium coverage for the under eye area and don't want something so thick. I really am loving this concealer!

I would say that Studio Finish Concealer wins for this comparison.
If you have tried these two products, which one do you like the best?


Also coming up...Review of Benefit PowderFlouge/how I apply my concealer using this product.


Friday, May 7, 2010

MAC's Greasepaint Sticks











This actual color is true to the photo and is a light to dark brown with golden undertones. It is perfect for using as a base for your eyeshadow by putting all over the lid and into the crease. Then applying your lid color and darker eyeshadow color into the crease. Just make sure when applying this product, to apply with a light hand and blend out quickly as it will dry in and not move! I also like to apply a base before applying Below Ground to help with staying power and creasing. I like to use MAC's Paintpot in Soft Ochre. However, there are many other eyeshadow bases that you can use. I should do a blog post on that exact topic! I think I will!

I would say that Below Ground works great to enhance and make brighter any light neutral eyeshadow color. Below Ground will help to make them stand out a lot more.

What eyeshadows would I use to go over Below Ground? Sticking with my last post, I would still use MAC's All That Glitters. This is a light pink with golden undertones and to me is very sheer. Using Below Ground as a base really makes it more vibrant! You could also use MAC's Honey Lust which is a very pretty shimmery color. One of my favorite eyeshadows to put over Below Ground is another MAC eyeshadow in Grand Entrance. Now, I know this is no longer available...but a good dupe for this is MAC's Jest or Naked Lunch. Both are on the same order of q slightly sheer frosty pink/with gold undertones. You can also use any lighter more sheer eyeshadow of any brand!

In addition, you can use Below Ground to line your top and bottom lash lines. Just use it to line your eyes as you would with any pencil liner. It will create a great smoky look! Afterwards, I also use an angled brush and take a brown eyeshadow and smudge it a little bit. I like to use MAC's Tempting which has a lot of shimmer in it! I find this to make a neutral everyday look have some more excitement!


So thanks for reading! I have many more products to talk about and plan on posting more frequently.

Upcoming Posts:
MAC's Greasepaint Stick in Dirty
Eyeshadow Bases: Many Different Brands!
Eye Liner: Pencil vs. Gel Liner
Concealer: Benefit PowderFlage
Hair Products I'm loving











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