Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What I'm Lusting After This Spring
Now that Easter has past, I think we can all officially say that Spring is finally here! What better way to celebrate than share with you what I'm currently lusting after! What are you guys craving this Spring?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Top 5 From MAC
So, I sat down to sort out my top 5 eye shadows. I clearly had no idea what I was getting myself into. I looked at the mountain in front of me and quickly realized there was no way to limit it to my fave five. So, my dears, I have altered it to my top five MAC eye shadows. Even after limiting it to just MAC, I still had a hard time deciding on my top five, so don't be surprised if you see a second installment of my top five MAC shadows! Anyways, without further ado, here they are!
1. Satin Taupe:
No matter how many taupe eye shadows I buy, Satin Taupe will always find its way back to my eyes. The pigmentation of this shadow supersedes all other taupe eye shadows I have ever purchased. It goes nicely with my brown eyes because of its purple undertone. I must say, however, that the only thing that would make this shadow better is if I had green eyes! Amazing!
2. Sable:
I feel like this MAC shadow doesn't get enough credit. On my brown eyes, I feel like Sable is the perfect compliment. It's got a beautiful maroon undertone that blends in perfectly with the overlying brown color. The pigmentation of this eye shadow is equally as incredible as Satin Taupe. I remember the first day I wore this eye shadow I got at least five compliments within two hours! It's the perfect almost-brown shade!
3. All That Glitters:
For me, it was a toss-up between All That Glitters and Naked Lunch. I swatched each of them on my hand to make a final decision, and All That Glitters made my heart skip a beat. It's the perfect golden-peach eye shadow. This shadow really makes my brown eyes pop! What I love most about this color is its ability to be worn with so many different colors. One of my favorites to wear it with is Mulch, which I am now wishing I had squeezed in here somehow!
4. Patina:
I have to say that this is one eyeshadow whose coloring I cannot describe! Whatever it is, it's magic. I would most closely associate it with a golden beige. I have yet to find another eye shadow out there that resembles Patina. It's the perfect neutral-toned shadow that still has a kick.
5. Club:
Yet another color that is not duplicated in my makeup collection. Club is definitely one of those eye shadows that I cannot live without. It is quite frankly the only iridescent eye shadow I will wear. When first applied, Club looks green, but when blended out, it transforms into a beautiful brown. I was initially too terrified to apply this eye shadow, but let me tell you, I wanted to send weekly gift to the lovely MAC associate for introducing me to it!
(Left to Right: Satin Taupe, Sable, All That Glitters, Patina, Club)
Don't leave yet! I want to announce a start-up giveaway to all of you loyal followers! Once I reach 50 followers, I will be giving away a new MAC eye shadow of your choice! I hope my fave five can help you decide which on you want to go with!
1. Satin Taupe:
No matter how many taupe eye shadows I buy, Satin Taupe will always find its way back to my eyes. The pigmentation of this shadow supersedes all other taupe eye shadows I have ever purchased. It goes nicely with my brown eyes because of its purple undertone. I must say, however, that the only thing that would make this shadow better is if I had green eyes! Amazing!
2. Sable:
I feel like this MAC shadow doesn't get enough credit. On my brown eyes, I feel like Sable is the perfect compliment. It's got a beautiful maroon undertone that blends in perfectly with the overlying brown color. The pigmentation of this eye shadow is equally as incredible as Satin Taupe. I remember the first day I wore this eye shadow I got at least five compliments within two hours! It's the perfect almost-brown shade!
3. All That Glitters:
For me, it was a toss-up between All That Glitters and Naked Lunch. I swatched each of them on my hand to make a final decision, and All That Glitters made my heart skip a beat. It's the perfect golden-peach eye shadow. This shadow really makes my brown eyes pop! What I love most about this color is its ability to be worn with so many different colors. One of my favorites to wear it with is Mulch, which I am now wishing I had squeezed in here somehow!
4. Patina:
I have to say that this is one eyeshadow whose coloring I cannot describe! Whatever it is, it's magic. I would most closely associate it with a golden beige. I have yet to find another eye shadow out there that resembles Patina. It's the perfect neutral-toned shadow that still has a kick.
5. Club:
Yet another color that is not duplicated in my makeup collection. Club is definitely one of those eye shadows that I cannot live without. It is quite frankly the only iridescent eye shadow I will wear. When first applied, Club looks green, but when blended out, it transforms into a beautiful brown. I was initially too terrified to apply this eye shadow, but let me tell you, I wanted to send weekly gift to the lovely MAC associate for introducing me to it!
(Left to Right: Satin Taupe, Sable, All That Glitters, Patina, Club)
Don't leave yet! I want to announce a start-up giveaway to all of you loyal followers! Once I reach 50 followers, I will be giving away a new MAC eye shadow of your choice! I hope my fave five can help you decide which on you want to go with!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Curl It Up
The weekend is here! I just wanted to pop in to introduce you to a hair look. This is a really easy and simple look that works well for day and night. Next week, I will be giving you step-by-step instructions on how to achieve this style with a...wait for it...flat iron! Check out the pictures below!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Let's get cheeky...
I think you can all guess now that I like to look like I've been basking in the sun all day. Unfortunately, I rarely give my skin the chance to get any color more than my natural tone (wear your SPF!). Luckily for me, there are products out there that allow me to achieve this look without sacrificing the health of my skin! Let me introduce you to a few of them:
Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset:
The name explains it all. Imagine you're on vacation in a tropical location. You've been basking in the sun all day, relaxing and taking in the views. The sun is starting to go down, so you head back to your hotel room to clean up and get ready for a night out on the town. As you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, you notice that you've gained that golden glow. You barely need any makeup, just a touch of mascara and some lip gloss and you're out the door, ready to take the town on after sunset. Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset perfectly achieves this look.
(Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset)
As I played with the products while I waited for Edward to do my makeup, I completely glanced over this color. I thought it was far too rich and deep for my skin color. But when Edward applied it onto my cheeks, I was convinced otherwise! The dark color in the palette blends out perfectly into a golden brown shade with the slightest hint of pink running through it.
(Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset- top swatch is unblended, bottom swatch is blended)
The texture of this product is absolutely brilliant. I find it best applied with my finger tips, then blended out perfectly with the Laura Mercier blending brush. What's especially nice about this product that when it is applied to the face, it continues to look like a cream, giving you a nice and healthy glow. I haven't gotten the chance to check out how well this product lasts throughout a long day, but from what I've seen, it's at least worth it to pick it up for a night out.
Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights:
Hi, my name is Roula and I'm a highlighting addict. I love to graze the tops of my cheek bones with highlighter to catch that perfect dose of light. While I am a HUGE fan of Jemma Kidd's Dewy Glow Radiance Creme in
Rose Gold, I find Kevyn Aucoin's Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights to be a nice alternative. What's particularly nice about this product is that it graduates from a light shade to a darker shade. The lightest shade is an icy-golden color with peach shimmer running through it, making it perfect for use as a highlighter. The second shade is a slightly deeper golden color with still a hint of peach running through it. The darkest color is an even deeper golden with what I would describe as simply brown running through it.
(Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights)
While I find the darkest shade to be a bit too dark for my skin, it does produce a nice golden shade when blended with the other colors. When put on with the lightest touch, this bronzer adds the perfect amount of color to your face, giving you a golden and youthful glow- a glow, might a add, that goes swimmingly with the Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset.
(Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Brozing Veil in Tropical Nights
Top to bottom: darkest to lightest shade, the bottom shade being a swatch of all three colors blended together)
While I don't mind powder products, I found myself wishing that this was a creme bronzer, just to add that tiniest extra bit of a glow. Either way, this product achieves that golden tropical glow that I'm constantly lusting after.
Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset:
The name explains it all. Imagine you're on vacation in a tropical location. You've been basking in the sun all day, relaxing and taking in the views. The sun is starting to go down, so you head back to your hotel room to clean up and get ready for a night out on the town. As you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, you notice that you've gained that golden glow. You barely need any makeup, just a touch of mascara and some lip gloss and you're out the door, ready to take the town on after sunset. Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset perfectly achieves this look.
As I played with the products while I waited for Edward to do my makeup, I completely glanced over this color. I thought it was far too rich and deep for my skin color. But when Edward applied it onto my cheeks, I was convinced otherwise! The dark color in the palette blends out perfectly into a golden brown shade with the slightest hint of pink running through it.
The texture of this product is absolutely brilliant. I find it best applied with my finger tips, then blended out perfectly with the Laura Mercier blending brush. What's especially nice about this product that when it is applied to the face, it continues to look like a cream, giving you a nice and healthy glow. I haven't gotten the chance to check out how well this product lasts throughout a long day, but from what I've seen, it's at least worth it to pick it up for a night out.
Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights:
Hi, my name is Roula and I'm a highlighting addict. I love to graze the tops of my cheek bones with highlighter to catch that perfect dose of light. While I am a HUGE fan of Jemma Kidd's Dewy Glow Radiance Creme in
Rose Gold, I find Kevyn Aucoin's Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights to be a nice alternative. What's particularly nice about this product is that it graduates from a light shade to a darker shade. The lightest shade is an icy-golden color with peach shimmer running through it, making it perfect for use as a highlighter. The second shade is a slightly deeper golden color with still a hint of peach running through it. The darkest color is an even deeper golden with what I would describe as simply brown running through it.
While I find the darkest shade to be a bit too dark for my skin, it does produce a nice golden shade when blended with the other colors. When put on with the lightest touch, this bronzer adds the perfect amount of color to your face, giving you a golden and youthful glow- a glow, might a add, that goes swimmingly with the Edward Bess Compact Rouge in After Sunset.
Top to bottom: darkest to lightest shade, the bottom shade being a swatch of all three colors blended together)
While I don't mind powder products, I found myself wishing that this was a creme bronzer, just to add that tiniest extra bit of a glow. Either way, this product achieves that golden tropical glow that I'm constantly lusting after.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Show Me What You Got...
What's a girl like me to do on a regular Saturday? Go shopping, of course! As I mentioned in a previous post, I picked up a handful of products this weekend. I teased you all with swatches of the Edward Bess lip products, so I figured it's about time for me to show some of the other new addi(c)tions to my collection.
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill:
These hyped up shadows come in a variety of colors. What I found most intriguing about this product is how tightly packed they are. While they are a loose powder, they are packed so tightly that the texture almost becomes creamy rather than powdery. I must say, however, that since they are so densely packed, the colors look slightly darker in the jar than when worn on the skin.
(Top to Bottom: (8 and 9)
Since I was channeling a sunkissed look that day, I opted for shades 8 and 9. Both shades have a gold undertone running through them, which almost catches the eye as a glitter because of the texture. The incredible shimmer running through these shadows give that perfect glow that seems to only be achieved through cream shadows. Shade number 8 has more of a pink tone than number 9, which is closer to a beige color. On Saturday night, I paired number 9 with Woodwinked from Mac and was very satisfied with the result. On Sunday, I wore shade number 8 all over the lid with just mascara. While I usually wear a primer on the eye, I skipped on it to give this new texture a shot. Unfortunately, there was some creasing, but not as much as my oily lids usually warrant. All in all, I was very satisfied with this product. I've got my eyes set on number six next.
Number 9
Number 8
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill:
These hyped up shadows come in a variety of colors. What I found most intriguing about this product is how tightly packed they are. While they are a loose powder, they are packed so tightly that the texture almost becomes creamy rather than powdery. I must say, however, that since they are so densely packed, the colors look slightly darker in the jar than when worn on the skin.
Since I was channeling a sunkissed look that day, I opted for shades 8 and 9. Both shades have a gold undertone running through them, which almost catches the eye as a glitter because of the texture. The incredible shimmer running through these shadows give that perfect glow that seems to only be achieved through cream shadows. Shade number 8 has more of a pink tone than number 9, which is closer to a beige color. On Saturday night, I paired number 9 with Woodwinked from Mac and was very satisfied with the result. On Sunday, I wore shade number 8 all over the lid with just mascara. While I usually wear a primer on the eye, I skipped on it to give this new texture a shot. Unfortunately, there was some creasing, but not as much as my oily lids usually warrant. All in all, I was very satisfied with this product. I've got my eyes set on number six next.
(Top to bottom: 9 and 8)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Stay Tuned!
Happy Tuesday!
I hope you are all enjoying your week. In case your week is going as slowly as mine, I thought I'd give you some things to look forward to! In the next couple of days, I will be posting on the following topics:
I hope you are all enjoying your week. In case your week is going as slowly as mine, I thought I'd give you some things to look forward to! In the next couple of days, I will be posting on the following topics:
- Reviews of recent purchases, including Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill in 8 & 9, Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights, Edward Bess Compact Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in After Sunset, By Terry Ultra-Radiance Active Concealer, and a Laura Mercier brush
- Top Five eyeshadows that never disappoint
- Most reached for rings. No matter what outfit I wear, these rings somehow manage to sneak their way onto my fingers! Stay tuned to check out their appeal!
- A discussion on the frustration that builds up when spell check tells you that you've misspelled certain makeup products and makeup brands. Not really, but let's work together to introduce spell check to these "mysteries", yes?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Edward Bess Lip Products- Swatches and Reviews
I'm back and I brought some swatches with me! As I mentioned in my previous post, I purchased the following lip products from Edward Bess:
Ultra Slick Lipstick in Pure Impulse
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Desert Glow
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Endless Love
Let's start from the top, shall we?
I would describe Ultra Slick Lipstick in Purse Impulse as a a pinky-beige. While it's a darker shade of nude than I would normally opt for, I found this shade to suit my skin tone (Chanel #30, NARS Santa Fe) nicely.
Pure Impulse
When Edward first put this color on me, I didn't see it until he had topped it with a mixture of two lipglosses, Endless Love and Desert Glow.
Endless Love
Desert Glow
When I told him I wanted to purchase all three, I wasn't entirely convinced that the shade the sales associate had given me was the shade that was on my lips. There was no way that this dark color was what had given me my J. Lo lips. Telling myself I couldn't second guess Edward, I put my best doubtless face forward and headed out, and boy am I glad I did. Later that evening, I decided to try out my new products. I put on the lipstick and thought it was a nice color, but it couldn't have been my Jenny from the Block lips.
Au contraire, my friends! Two quick swipes of Desert Glow, a perfectly creamy nude, and Endless Love, a sheer cool-toned baby pink with the slightest hint of peach, on top of the lipstick and I was back at it! The result was a perfectly sandy nude lip. I had finally found my perfect sex kitten lip!
(From top to bottom: Desert Glow, Endless Love, Pure Impluse)
What's so special about this lip combo is that while it goes perfectly with a smokey eye, it also goes equally well with other toned-down looks. And to top it all off, all three products taste and smell incredible! I would highly recommend these products to anyone who want a go-to look that can accompany any look!
Ultra Slick Lipstick in Pure Impulse
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Desert Glow
Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Endless Love
Let's start from the top, shall we?
I would describe Ultra Slick Lipstick in Purse Impulse as a a pinky-beige. While it's a darker shade of nude than I would normally opt for, I found this shade to suit my skin tone (Chanel #30, NARS Santa Fe) nicely.
When Edward first put this color on me, I didn't see it until he had topped it with a mixture of two lipglosses, Endless Love and Desert Glow.
When I told him I wanted to purchase all three, I wasn't entirely convinced that the shade the sales associate had given me was the shade that was on my lips. There was no way that this dark color was what had given me my J. Lo lips. Telling myself I couldn't second guess Edward, I put my best doubtless face forward and headed out, and boy am I glad I did. Later that evening, I decided to try out my new products. I put on the lipstick and thought it was a nice color, but it couldn't have been my Jenny from the Block lips.
Au contraire, my friends! Two quick swipes of Desert Glow, a perfectly creamy nude, and Endless Love, a sheer cool-toned baby pink with the slightest hint of peach, on top of the lipstick and I was back at it! The result was a perfectly sandy nude lip. I had finally found my perfect sex kitten lip!
What's so special about this lip combo is that while it goes perfectly with a smokey eye, it also goes equally well with other toned-down looks. And to top it all off, all three products taste and smell incredible! I would highly recommend these products to anyone who want a go-to look that can accompany any look!
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