A Tried & True Look 1/26/14

Hi everyone!  Today I wanted to experiment with one of my new MAC pigments, True Chartreuse.  Based solely on today's experience, it applied seamlessly and was highly pigmented.  I did not have to keep packing on color for an even result.  I did use MAC Fix+ to slightly dampen the product.  It glided on smoothly and I had no issues.  I was very satisfied with the finished result and this definitely encouraged me to use this product again in the future.  With all that being said, I do recommend and encourage you to try out this pigment if you enjoy bright, bold colors.

For today's look, I used the following products:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony - brows
Sephora Age Defy Moisture Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen - face
MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance - face
Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion - eyes
Urban Decay Naked eye shadow - brow bone
MAC Fix+ - to moisten brush
MAC True Chartreuse pigment - eye lid and lower lash line
MAC Plumage eye shadow (matte) - outer corner and outer lower lash line
MAC Brule eye shadow (satin) - under brow
Maybelline EyeStudio in Blackest Black - upper lash line
MAC ZoomLash mascara - upper and lower lashes

Make Up For Ever Full Cover in shade 5 - under eyes
Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19 in shade Beige Dore 50 - face
Stila Illuminating Powder in 40 Watts - face
NYX Mosaic Powder in shade Dare - apples of cheeks
NYX Tango With Bronzing Powder in shade Tribal Odyssey - hollows of cheeks
MAC Cream O' Spice Cremestick Liner - lips
NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Lacquer - lips
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
MAC Fix+ - face

MAC Haul 1/14/14, Dramatic Wings Over Smoky Clouds Look & Mini YSL Review 1/25/14

Hi guys!  I wanted to briefly show you guys my new MAC Eye Shadow X15: Warm Neutral palette.  This palette is amazing.  The shades in this palette are gorgeous, highly pigmented and blend like a dream.  This palette is available for purchase at the MAC website for $100.00.  If you would like more information, feel free to check out the site.

Next, I wanted to share this look with all.  This is more of an evening appropriate look.  If you would like to know what products I used to complete this look, then keep reading.

First, I filled in my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony.  I applied both MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel and Laura Gellar Spackle Supercharged Fortified Under Make-up Primer to my face.  I used a small amount of Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion on my eyes.  Using a fluffy blending brush, I applied Lorac Garnet eye shadow to the brow bone.  I used a flat shading brush to apply Urban Decay S&M eyeshadow to the eye lid and the tip of that same brush was used to apply it to the lower lash line.  Next, I used Lorac Black eye shadow on the outer corner and outer lower lash line for extra dimension and drama.  I used a skin tone shade, Lorac Cream eye shadow, under the brow.  Using an angled eye liner brush, I applied a thick/heavy line of Maybelline Eyestudio in Blackest Black to the upper lash line to create the dramatic wing.  Also, I added Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in shade 23L to the water line.  I coated both the upper and lower lashes with Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara.

Using a concealer brush, I tapped Make Up For Ever Full Cover in shade 5 under the eyes.  I used a flat square-tipped foundation brush to apply Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Éclat Illuminating Foundation SPF 19 in shade Beige Dore 50 (said to be for light to medium complexions with golden toffee beige undertones) to the rest of my face.  (This foundation, available at Sephora for $55.00, has a thin consistency and a light fragrance that reminded me of cucumbers.  The fragrance, however, did not linger after application.  It provided long-lasting coverage that made my skin look flawless without having to use a lot of product or effort.  Throughout wear, I didn't feel the product on my skin.  In fact, it felt so natural that I had to mentally keep reminding myself that I was wearing makeup.  Overall, I do recommend this foundation and encourage you to try it out.)  I used a fluffy powder brush to dust MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium Dark on my face to set the cream products.  On the hollows of my cheeks, I applied Make Up For Ever Mat Bronze Bronzing Powder in shade 20.  Concentrating on the apples of my cheeks, I used MAC Fleur Power powder blush (satin) and blended it outward.  (This blush does have intense pigmentation and it is very easy to apply too much.  Be sure to use a light hand if you would like a more natural look.)  On the tops of my cheeks and under my eyes, I used a fan brush to apply Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light.  On the lips, I used NYX Natural Lipliner Pencil and MAC High Tea lipstick (lustre).  I set my brows using Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel and set the look with MAC Fix+ spray.

Sheerly Luminous Look & Dillard's and Sephora Haul 1/11/14

Greetings guys!  I was dying to try out my new Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Eye Shadow Palette.  Take a look at the look I created using this cool palette.

I filled in my brows with Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Dark.  I applied Illamasqua Hydra Veil Rehydrating Gel and MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance to my face.  I applied both Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion and MAC Bare Canvas Paint to the eyes.  Then, from the Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Eye Shadow Palette, I used the Yellow Beige eye shadow on the brow bone and for blending.  I applied Khaki eye shadow to the eye lid and lower lash line and Bronze eye shadow to the outer corner.  I used Espresso eye shadow on the outer crease and outer lower lash line.  I used Lorac Nude eye shadow under the brow.  Next, I used Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Matte Black eye liner on the upper lash line and waterline.  I coated my lashes with Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara.

Using a foundation brush, I applied Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation in 40 Watts.  I patted Stila Perfecting Concealer in Shade C under my eyes.  I used my fingers to apply Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip And Cheek Cream in Gerbera to the apples of my cheeks.  I tapped Benefit The Pore Fessional on the crease of my nose.  I dusted Stila Set & Correct Baked Powder Trio in The Correctors on my face.  Then, I applied Stila Custom Color Blush in Self-Adjusting Bronze on the hollows of my cheeks, jawline and forehead.  I used Stila Illuminating Powder in 40 Watts all over my face.  Then, I lightly applied Hourglass Luminous Light Ambient Lighting Powder under the eyes and on top of the cheek bones.  I set my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.  On the lips, I used NYX Peekaboo Neutral Lipliner Pencil and NARS Coup De Coeur lip gloss.  (Sidenote:  I love this color!  It looks dark in the container but it is sheer, natural and very flattering.  Normally, I am not too crazy about getting a sheer color instead of the one that is visible in the container.  This time, I was really happy, not only with the color but with the consistency of the product itself.  It wasn't sticky or drying.)  Lastly, I spritzed Urban Decay Oil Control De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray all over my face.

I made another small purchase at Dillard's and Sephora today. From Dillard's, I picked up the only pigment from the MAC Punk Couture collection that wasn't available a couple of days ago, the Neo-Orange pigment.  From Sephora, I selected the NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Lacquer.  I, also, brought several samples of products that I was curious about trying.  I brought home samples of the YSL and Armani foundations, as well as YSL Lip Tint that was recommended over their line of lipsticks, Korres After Sun Cooling Gel and the Glam Glow Thirsty Mud face treatment.  I will say the Korres gel was particularly interesting to me.  I have extremely sensitive skin, especially on my hands.  Since I was little, common cleaning agents would severely irritate my skin to the point that it peels, turns red, and has burning/itching sensations.  When touching the skin, you can feel the dry and rough texture that is left behind.  While I was in the store, I sampled a few of the products and unfortunately my sensitive skin went haywire.  However, one of the employees gave me some of the Korres After Sun Cooling Gel and I immediately felt the difference.  The burning sensation was replaced by a cooling sensation.  The entire time that product was on my skin, hours, I continued feeling the coolness followed by calm and then coolness again.  It was incredible.  Usually, products only give you a momentary cool feeling that never returns.  This product, with a single application, never stopped working.  It is made with Greek Yogurt, which is said to cool and calm the skin.  I will continue to try out this product and if it helps heal my hands, I will definitely be purchasing the tube.

Sephora & Dillard's Haul & Island Glow Look 1/8/14

Hi everyone!  I wanted to briefly share a picture of the new items I purchased at Dillard's and Sephora today.  From Dillard's, I picked up a couple of items from the MAC Punk Couture collection.  Although these items are not limited edition, the bright colors were definitely calling me.  They were the True Chartreuse and Magenta Madness pigments.  From Sephora, I selected all three of the Lit Cosmetics Holographic Glitter Kits.  The names of the colors are Superfly, Disco Diva and Rich And Famous.  I finally caved and purchased Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light.  I, also, selected the Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set and Christian Dior Dior Addict Gloss in 343 Spring Ball.

Today's look was created using products from the Lorac Tantalizer Glow To Go Collection. This is what I used to put to together:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Lorac Tahitian Sand eye shadow - brow bone
Lorac Barbados Bronze eye shadow - eye lid and lower lash line
Lorac Costa Rican Coffee - upper lash line
Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara - upper and lower lashes

Laura Mercier Artist Palette Review and Small Sephora Haul 1/7/14

Hi guys!  Today I wanted to review the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette For Eyes.  The palette's soft container has a textured bubble pattern all over it.  The top of the container has a softer feel and the bottom and sides are firm and solid.  The lid wraps shut and has a magnetized closure.  Once opened, the top portion has a large mirror and the bottom has 12 eye shadow colors, which are all the same size and shape.  Each shadow is attached uniformly in the palette, which shows the care and thought that went into designing/producing this product.  This palette contains both shimmer and matte shades.  The shades in this palette are so perfectly matched that every single shade would look beautiful with any other shade in the palette.  I don't believe I have another palette that has that same quality (or at least none that come to mind).  Each color applies seamlessly and flawlessly.  There is no need to keep applying color to get the desired consistency.  What you see is what you get.  Another quality of the product is the superior blendability of each color.  I'm sorry to say it has been my experience that when I purchase a palette, I can expect to get a dud or two in the group and the rest will be mediocre to great colors.  This palette has not one single dud in the bunch.  I kid you not, every single shade is smooth, highly pigmented and easily blendable without any noticeable fading or creasing with wear.  This palette is clearly very high quality.  You can tell that Laura Mercier really took the time to produce a durable and useful palette.  Kudos to Laura Mercier for all the hard work and may they continue to make outstanding products in the future.

In addition to the review, I wanted to share my new products from Sephora.  The main item was the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Collection, which is made with 100% natural cocoa powder and includes "16 antioxidant-rich cocoa powder infused matte and shimmer shades".  This palette, based solely on its appearance, seems very promising.  It does have a light chocolate scent, as well.  The samples include PhytoSpecific Moisturizing Styling Cream with Quinoa oil, Phyto Paris Phytobaume Hydratation Express Conditioner, XYY (Xtend Your Youth) Face Cream by Dr. Brandt and the Sephora + Pantone Color IQ sample bag that includes Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder, Sephora Ultra-Smoothing Primer, Smashbox Photo Finish More Than A Primer Blemish Control Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment, and Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream.  I am looking forward to trying these out and letting you know my findings.  As always, feel free to list any questions in the comments section.  I am looking forward to hearing from you all.  Thanks again for reading.

Sephora Haul 1/3/14

Greetings all!  As I mentioned in a previous post, Sephora had a promotional 20% off discount on all of their sale items.  I picked up fabulous items and got a phenomenal deal.  Sadly, most of the items I purchased are no longer available.  However, I still wanted to show you guys my new goodies.

I selected the Make Up For Ever The Ultimate Eye Liner Collection which includes 7 Aqua Eyes liners, 3 kohl pencils, 4 Aqua Liners and a Double Pencil Sharpener.  I chose the NARS Coup De Couer & Bad Education lip glosses, which were a bargain at $10 each.  I, also, selected the Lorac Tantalizer Glow To Go Collection limited edition set that includes Tantalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer, Tahitian Sand, Barbados Bronze and Costa Rican Coffee eye shadows, Tantalizer Lips With Benefits Rico Lip Gloss, and the Tantalize Me limited edition baked bronzer.  I picked out Lorac eye shadows in Rhapsody, Glamorous, Gold, Nude and Green Room.  (I was very surprised to see that none of the Lorac eye shadows were available for purchase after I received my order.  I guess I lucked out in my timing for this purchase.  I think Sephora will no longer be carrying this brand, unfortunately.  I really like this brand, particularly for the eye shadows.  They have been highly pigmented, soft and creamy to apply and long-lasting.  I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this brand of eye shadows.  Needless to say, I am disappointed that they won't be available at Sephora.  On the upside, I believe Ulta still sells this product line.  So, I am always able to purchase them at my local Ulta.)  Of course, the final items worth mentioning are the samples of PhytoSpecific Moisturizing Styling Cream with Quinoa oil, XYY (Xtend Your Youth) Face Cream by Dr. Brandt, Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter, and Origins Plantscription SPF 25 anti-aging oil-free cream that I received with my order.

I have yet to try out any of these products.  I will definitely be creating various looks and incorporating them in future posts.  If there is anything you all would like to see or should your have any questions, let me know in your comments or send me an e-mail.  Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you soon.

Mini Sephora Haul & Golden Blue Look 1/1/14

Happy New Year!  I wanted to start off by thanking all of you for the love and support you have given me.  You have motivated and inspired me to be creative and informative with every post.  I hope this year and each year thereafter brings you success, happiness and abundant love.

I made a small purchase at Sephora that I wanted to share with you all, as well.  I picked up the Philosophy Field of Flowers Peony Blossom Body Lotion and the Sephora + Pantone Universe Elemental Molten Liquid Liners.  The liner set includes four small liners in shades Blue Atoll, Emerald, Fragrant Lilac and Chocolate Torte.  While making the purchase, I was informed that I qualified to receive a new VIB Rouge card, which you see in the photo.

Today's new look was created with colors my daughter picked out from the Too Faced A Few Of My Favorite Things palette.  I am really happy with the completed look.  This is what I used to create it.

I filled my brows in with Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Dark.  I applied both MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel and MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance to my face.  I applied Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion to my eyes.  From the Too Faced palette, I applied Taffy eye shadow to the brow bone using a blending brush.  I used Tinsel eye shadow on the inner eye lid and Party Time eye shadow on the outer 2/3 of the eye lid.  I applied Blue Satin Sashes eye shadow on the outer corner and Pure Glam eye shadow on the eye lid corner.  MAC Minted Eye Kohl was applied on the lower lash line and Loreal Lineur Intense in Black was used on the upper lash line.  I coated the lashes twice with Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.  (The consistency of the product is on the thinner side.)

I applied a small amount of Make Up For Ever Full Cover in shade 5 under the eyes.  Using a foundation brush, I applied Christian Dior Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup Sunscreen in shade 031 to the rest of the face and set with MAC Pressed Blot Powder in Medium Dark.  I used Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer on the hollows of the cheeks.  (This bronzer is amazing guys!)  From the same palette, I applied Melt Into Spring blush on the apples of the cheeks.  I lined the lips with MAC Beurre Cremestick Liner and filled them in with MAC Fashion Punch Lipglass.  I set the brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel and spritzed MAC Fix+ to set the look.

Sephora Brush Review & Small Sephora Haul 12/30/13

Hi guys!  I wanted to chat with you all about the Sephora Holiday Light Show Brush Set I recently purchased.  I am so in love with these brushes guys.  Each and every single brush is incredibly soft.  Not only is this set colorful and really beautiful to look at, they each pick up and apply color like a dream.  I have experienced zero bristle fall out.  After being washed, there was no change in shape, smell or function of any of the brushes.  Basically, they are the most perfect brushes!  I wish I would have purchased 5 more sets, which includes a display stand.  If you so happen to find these at your local Sephora, don't hesitate to purchase this set.  It is sold out online unfortunately.  Sephora, please bring this set back!  It is so amazing.

Sephora had a special promotion of 20% off all sale items.I took advantage of the sale and purchased a few goodies.  I selected the Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Eye Shadow Palette and the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Empowered and Fearless.  As a gift with purchase, I received Nails Inc. Kensington Caviar Top Coat.  The samples included were of DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel, PhytoSpecific Moisturizing Styling Cream with Quinoa Oil, and Lancôme Dreamtone Ultimate Dark Spot Corrector in Medium (which is supposed to diminish dark spots, even skin tone and correct sallowness).

Shades of Copper Look 12/26/13

Hi everyone!  This was another relatively simple look to create.  Just because it is the day after Christmas doesn't mean I have to stick with traditional holiday colors.  The beauty of makeup is there are no laws about what you can wear when.  So I encourage you to play with a variety a colors and application methods, regardless of the season or holiday.  Have fun!

I started by filling in my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Ebony and applied Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion to the eye area.  Using a blending brush, I applied MAC Naked Pigment to the brow bone.  I pressed MAC Copper Sparkle Pigment on the inner 2/3 of the eye lid.  I used MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment on the outer corner.  For dimension, I used MAC Carbon eye shadow (matte) to deepen the outer corner.  Going with the color theme of the day, I choose Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Lucky to define the lower lash line and waterline.  Sephora Waterproof Retractable Eyeliner in Matte Black was selected to define the upper lash line.  Lastly, I coated the lashes with Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara.

Holiday Green & Gold Look 12/22/13

Hey guys!  As promised, I am including another holiday look for you all to see.  This look features classic holiday colors that anyone can wear.  This is how I pulled it together.

First, I filled in my brows with Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Dark.  Next, I used my fingers to apply MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel and MAC Prep + Prime Natural Radiance to my face.  Using the same application method, I applied Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion to the eye area.  For my transitional shade, I used a fluffy blending brush to apply Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow to the brow bone and blend it out.  Next, I applied Urban Decay Half-Baked eyeshadow to the eye lid using a flat shading brush.  The next thing I did was apply MAC Sassy Grass eye shadow (matte) to the outer corner.  I used the same blending brush that I used to apply Naked to blend the green out.  I applied MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Treat Me Nice to the upper lash line.  I took NYX Acid Green Eye/Eyebrow Pencil and used it on the lower lash line.  Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Covet was used on the water line.  For added sparkle, I applied MAC Glitter Eye Liner in Divine Lime on the upper lash line on top of Treat Me Nice.  I completed the eyes by coating both upper and lower lashes with Benefit They're Real Beyond Mascara.

I carefully used Make Up For Ever Full Cover in shade 5 under the eyes, making sure not to use too much or an insufficient amount of product.  Next, I used a foundation brush to apply Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Foundation in N127 to the rest of my face and set this with Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder in shade 06.  On the cheeks, I used a blush brush to apply MAC Honey Jasmine Powder Blush (satin).  Stila Custom Color Blush in Self-Adjusting Bronze was applied to the hollows of my cheeks for contour.  I took PurMinerals Candlelit Pink Mineral Blush and applied it as a highlight on top of the cheek bones.  I lined my lips with MAC Beurre Cremestick Liner and filled them in with MAC Feed The Senses lipstick (lustre).  Of course, my last step was to set my brows using Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel.