Radiant Orchid | Pantone Color of the Year 2014

As many of you know, Pantone is the "authority on color." For 2014, they announced that the color of the year was Radiant Orchid. The focus is on different shades of purples/pinks, mostly with purple tones.

I gathered together all of the items I had that could fall into the "Radiant Orchid" category. Here is what I mustered up:

- Maybelline ColorSensational High Shine Lipgloss in Flash of Pink

- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

- Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart

- Korres Lip Butter in Quince

- Essie Under Where?

- Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow palette in Floral Values

- MAC Fig 1

- Nars Amour

I hope to use many of these items as the color theme this year is beautiful!

Image from Google

Exposed | Tarte Amazonian clay 12-hr blush

It is so funny to think that a year ago, I went into Sephora looking for Tarte Exposed blush, but found several other nude blush "dupes" and ended up with Nars Lovejoy. (see post here). I don't know why I ended up with Lovejoy (although it is a beautiful shade), but the Tarte Exposed swatch at Sephora, at the time, wasn't very pigmented and needed several swipes to get full color. (Looking back, the pan must have been oily from people's fingers or had gotten wet from brushes that were freshly clean). Regardless, it completely threw me off from buying it. 

A few months ago, I bought Tarte Exposed on Ebay for a very affordable price. I swatched it again, and fell in love. It is definitely rosier then I last imagined and has become my perfect "everyday blush."

Exposed is a matte, rosy, pink nude blush. There is something about it that makes it the perfect colored blush for me. 

Tarte Amazonian clay 12-hr blushes have 0.20 oz of product for $26. As far as formulation, they are very smooth and pigmented; a little goes a long way. On me, it lasts about 8-10 hours depending on the weather and the kind of day I am looking at.

To view the post I have of my Tarte blush collection, click here.

Now on Facebook!

Hey everyone! I decided to make a Facebook Like page, so go ahead and check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/simplecharmbeauty

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation {Review}

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is described as a "feather light, all day shine control for a natural matte finish." I picked up the Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid foundation in 091 Light Ivory at Walgreens for $6, and it contains 1 fl. oz. This foundation recently arrived in the USA, but has been out in the UK for the past few months. I had read great things about it, so decided to pick it up and give it a go.

I love the packaging of this foundation. Although not beautiful and high end looking, it is very practical as it is your basic squeeze tube packaging. This type of packaging allows you to control and dispense the amount needed.

As you can see above, it is a mousse consistency. It is on the thick side, so make sure you don't glob on a ton of it on one area of the face. Distribute it evenly and blend away to cover all areas of your face! Rimmel Stay Matte foundation reminds me of the Tarte 12-hr full coverage Amazonian clay foundation. (If you would like to see a comparison between the two, let me know in the comments below!)

 No foundation                                                With foundation

 This foundation matches my skin flawlessly. I love that it gives me a natural, matte finish that looks like skin while covering up redness. The Stay Matte foundation has medium coverage and since it has such a light consistency, I forget that I am wearing makeup! 

Unfortunately, some shine does start to creep through a little around my forehead at hour 4-5 for me, which isn't bad at all, as I have a very oily T-zone. Another thing to be aware of, this foundation does transfer a bit. I noticed this after I got off the phone and saw a little bit of it left over on my screen.

On the plus side, it does look like it will be a new favorite of mine!

Touch The Sky | Brave

Happy Friday! Earlier this week, I watched Brave for the first time with my mom. Such an adorable movie! I definitely recommend watching it with your mother. The movie shows true, selfless love. 

Merida is the fourth installment of my Disney Princess series. I have also done Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.

The inspiration for this look came, obviously, from Merida's emerald and gold dress, and her bright, red, curly hair. 

I used Jordana's 12 Hour Eyeshadow Pencil in Endless Emerald as the base. Next, I applied MAC Coppering into the inner two-thirds of my eyelid. To highlight underneath my brows, I used MAC Blanc Type. I lined my upper lash-line with Urban Decay Half-Baked. I used the Rimmel ScandalEYES eye liner in black in my upper and lower water lines. Finally, I applied L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black mascara on my upper and lower lashes. For my lips, I used Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait. 

Tarte Cosmetics: Battle of the Camera, Lights mascaras

Today I have a battle between two Tarte Cosmetic mascaras: Lights, Camera, Lashes! (reviewed here) and Lights, Camera, Flashes! (reviewed here).

Lights, Camera, Lashes! is a mascara that has been around for several years. This was my favorite one. I was a little reluctant to try the new Lights, Camera, Flashes when it first came out last year, but it was in a gift set so I got to try it out. 

What are they? Read below to find out. (descriptions taken from tartecosmetics.com)

Lights, Camera, Lashes 

Our lights, camera, lashes™ 4-in-1 mascara could be considered a push-up bra for your lashes—a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning) plus it’s dermatologist- and clinically-proven to increase the appearance of lash volume. 

Lights, Camera, Flashes

Take your sultry, flashy lashes to the extreme with this amped up, ultra-black mascara that lengthens, curls and magnifies lashes for an intensified look proven to increase lash volume by 752% instantly! Powered by tarte’s proprietary triple black complex, this longwear, vitamin-infused formula emphasizes length and volume while conditioning lashes for a dramatic look that won’t dry out, flake or budge.

Packaging and Brushes:

L-R: Lights, Camera, Flashes.....Lights, Camera, Lashes

The Lights, Camera, Lashes comes in a purple tube and the brush has "natural" bristles, where as the Lights, Camera, Flashes comes in a gold tube and the brush is made out of plastic. (The products above are deluxe samples, but the color packaging and brushes are the same in both deluxe sample and full size.)

The Lights, Camera, Lashes retails for $19 for 0.24 fl oz., and the Lights, Camera, Flashes retails for $23 for 0.31 fl oz. Tarte is only found in the USA.

See below for results:

No mascara

With two coats:

L-R: Lights, Camera, Lashes....Lights, Camera, Flashes

Formula

The Lights, Camera, Lashes formula is on the drier side and I have noticed that it does tend to flake a little bit throughout the day. On the other hand, Lights, Camera, Flashes is a bit more wet, but dries fairly quickly and does not flake, (if anything, maybe just a little bit but barely noticeable).

Overall, both are nice mascaras, but I find I now prefer Lights, Camera, Flashes. It creates a fuller and longer lash look, whereas the Lights, Camera, Lashes is more natural. I tend to like fuller lashes as mine are pretty thin and invisible. I like when my lashes pop out and don't make my eyes look bald (if you know what I mean! haha). 

Have you tried Tarte mascaras? How do you like them?

Mani Mondays | Essie Smooth Sailing

Wow, haven't done one of these posts in a while! Yes, there are only 20 minutes left in Monday, and yes I do have a late winter nail post! Usually, I would have done a winter-themed nail design earlier in January, but I have been very busy. Plus I still had my Shellac manicure on my nails.

Today's nail polish features Essie Smooth Sailing with a snowman nail design. Unfortunately, the nail design got a little smudged as I put the top coat on, but thats okay!

Smooth Sailing is a periwinkle blue with slight shimmer in it. This color reminds me of my childhood. I had a blanket that was this color and was very soft and velvety smooth. It had an interesting texture, but  gave great memories. In fact, I still have that blanket and will keep it for always.

Smooth Sailing applied opaque in two coats, plus it dried pretty quickly (not quick as in one minute, but fairly quickly compared to other polishes). This nail polish was part of the Essie Summer 2011 collection.

Have a great day!

January Wishlish!

New wishlist coming our way! These seven items are currently on my January/spring wishlist, as of now. They are items that I have been looking at for a long time, or just products that I fell in love with by just looking at them. 

1. Real Techniques Blush Brush - I have seen this being used so many times on different YouTube channels and blogs. It looks like it applies blush beautifully and would love to try it out.

2. Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye and Cheek Palette - What a mouthful! Definitely a long name. This is a new palette from Tarte that is beautiful. I have seen swatches of this palette and want it so bad. I know I have lots of palettes, but this one is perfect for spring as it has romantic eye shadow colors.

3. Zoya Rue nail polish - Rue is part of the Zoya Naturel Rose Tone Nudes collection for spring. It is described as a cool nude pink. After seeing swatches, I feel it has a light touch of a lavender or mauvey feel. Either way, simply refreshing.

4. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - Although similar in looks to its sister, Real Techniques Buffing Brush, the Expert Face brush is geared more to applying liquid and cream foundations. After reading reviews, many claim that it leaves a flawless finish as it is more densely packed then the Buffing Brush.

5. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - As a primer that receives much hype from fellow oily skinned gals, I have to try this out. I've only used a few primers, but not many helped. I'm hoping this one will work magic. Yes, the price is steep for a primer, but it has much high hope.

6. Lorac Unzipped Palette - With much of the craziness of the Lorac Pro Palette being out of stock practically everywhere, this beautiful palette is also MIA from stores. I have gone various times to Ulta, to see that it is not there. I would love this palette because it is rosy toned, but not as much as the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. Yes, the UD palette is pretty, but it is too rosy for me. Hence why I see the Lorac Unzipped palette more handy in my stash if I got it.

7. Nars The NARSissist Cheek Kit - When I saw press releases of this palette on different blogs, it looked like a dream come true. Not only does it have the cult-favorites Orgasm and Laguna, it includes a highlighting powder, Devotee. To me, that is a beautiful combination to have it all together. Since lately I have been into the glowy skin, this palette would be fantastic. Plus, the fact that it comes with a brush is a bonus.

Back to Au Naturel | Revlon ColorSilk Beautiful Color

Happy Saturday! I have some bad and good news. The bad is, earlier in January, I washed my hair with a 3 in 1 men's shampoo (shampoo, conditioner, and body wash), and although I used my Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque, when I went to straighten my hair the next day, my hair got fried, singed, whatever you may call it. It was AWFUL! (I learned my lesson, never use 3-in-1s or 2-in-1s).

I tried various masks, bought shampoos and conditioners specifically for damaged hair, and bought the Aussie 3 minute miracle. I did coconut oil treatments and olive oil treatments. Eventually, it did get a little bit better, but not much. The bottom half of my hair looked like a knotted birds nest.

It got poofy, and had no life to it, it was just...dead. Whenever I tried combing it or brushing, lots of hair would break off or just fall out. I thought I was going to go bald from all the hair I lost.

Here are pictures to show you all:

This is before I cut or dyed my hair 3 days ago. Yes, my roots are oily. I tried not to wash my hair too much as it would be extremely drying for it. My hair looks decent here, but I hated the feel of it. It was overprocessed, dry, damaged, what have you. A knotted mess.

Since nothing I did helped, the only option I had was to cut my hair. Since I was going to do that, I figured it would be a good time to dye my hair to something similar to my natural hair color. I opted for Revlon ColorSilk Beautiful Color in Light Golden Brown and Medium Rich Brown. 

I know that the Medium Rich Brown would be too dark for me, but I wanted just a touch of richness in my hair, while the Light Golden Brown would give me warmth. So...I mixed in a bowl the entire bottles of the Light Golden Brown color and creme developer, and added just a few drops of the Medium Rich Brown. 

I covered everything, from roots to ends to ensure that every piece of hair was saturated in this mixture.

During the process.

The directions said to leave the dye on for 25 minutes. After, I rinsed and shampooed, I dried my hair with a blow dryer. 

After:

Very similar to my natural color, but more on the warmer side. The medium rich brown did deposit a lot into my hair, but I love it. In the picture, my hair looks very thin and lifeless still. You see a lot of the frizziness left behind from the damage I received earlier this month.

Recent Hair History

My natural color:

Here is a picture of my natural hair color from this past summer. It is a light brown and matches my eyes. I did have a few highlights in here from the Revlon Frost and Glow in Honey (review here), but overall, this is my natural hair base color.

This is the ombre I did this past August. I loved how beautiful it turned out. However, it started to get very yellow toned and not as pretty. One thing I will miss are the highlights on my bangs. (I may just do that again to lighten up my hair!)

 Today!

Tada! Here is my hair after being colored and cut. I do still have a few sections that are damaged, but those are bearable. Its so nice having soft hair again!

Since this was a permanent color dye, it covered all my blonde up pretty well, but since my ends technically still have "blonde" on it, the dye will fade in that area. I don't think I will do a bleach blonde ombre again, but I may just use a highlighting kit to slightly lighten up the area. I plan on doing subtle highlights in the near future to soften up the look, but we will see. The dark my grow on me.

The Revlon ColorSilk Beautiful Color dyes are permanent and are ammonia free, which is very important. I found mine at Target for $2.99 a box, which is a great deal in my opinion!

Once Upon A Dream | Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty is one of those princesses that I was unsure which eye look to do because she wears both a pink and a blue dress. Although majority of the movie is her in the blue dress, pink and gold is what comes to mind whenever I think of Sleeping Beauty.

I used MAC Expensive Pink in the crease, NYX Golden Poppy as the base lid color, and Urban Decay Half-Baked on the lid and lower lash line. To blend the crease and highlight under my brow bone, I used MAC Blanc Type. I used Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner to line the top lashes, and above that used the NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gold. For mascara, I applied Lancome Hypnose Drama on top and bottom lashes.

Surprisingly, I loved how MAC Expensive Pink turned out. I thought it would be less pink, but once applied, it turned out a beautiful pink color.

For lips I used MAC Patisserie and used Too Faced Sex Pot on top of that. Finally, for blush I applied the Elf blush in Pink Passion.

Wearing my highschool Prom Queen crown/tiara, I tried to look like Sleeping Beauty, (although I no longer have the golden locks and long hair.)

If you hadn't noticed, I cut my hair! I will do a post about that later as to what I did and why!

My MAC Eyeshadows

These are my first MAC eyeshadows. I have experienced MAC lipsticks before, which I think are fantastic, but I always questioned the eyeshadows. 

After seeing MAC Cranberry on someone, I fell in love with it. It was everything I had been looking for in a shade. So, I made a trip down to a MAC store and browsed around.

The shades I decided to get were:

- MAC Blanc Type - creamy beige, (matte2)

- MAC Deep Truth - true dark blue (frost)

- MAC Coppering - orange copper (veluxe pearl)

- MAC Fig 1 - eggplant purple, (matte2)

- MAC Cranberry - red plum with pink shimmer (frost)

- MAC Expensive Pink - pink with duochrome (veluxe pearl)

Direct light

Left to Right: Blanc Type, Expensive Pink, Coppering, Cranberry, Fig 1, Deep Truth

Indirect light

I did not want to purchase the 15 pot palette because that will cause me to spend more on MAC eyeshadows, and I'm satisfied with these 6 shades. Usually, most of my eyeshadows are in palettes, not loose, so the other colors I would normally get are found in my palettes.

The shades are smooth and creamy. They glided on the skin with the swatch and are very true to color. We will see when I apply it to the eyes.

If I ever do want to buy more MAC shadows, it has to be one that I cannot live without, plus whenever I do finish these, I will probably replace them with either the same or other shades.

I cannot wait to make new looks with these eyeshadows! It will be so much fun.

Tarte Giveaway Winner!

And the winner of the Tarte Cosmetics Thoughtful Treasures giveaway is....

Arian Y! Congratulations! I sent you an email, please email me back. If the winner does not reply within 48 hours, another winner will be selected.

Thank you to everyone who participated!