Monday, March 31, 2014

Mani Monday | Orly Kiss the Bride


I love Spring! Lovely pastels and bright colors will begin flooding our blog feeds! To welcome spring, I wanted to do something soft and very pastel-like. 

Orly Kiss the Bride is a beautiful opaque off-white nail polish that leans towards the pink spectrum. It gives the "polished" look and is very work appropriate. I love this color as it makes my hands look so girly and pretty! Definitely one of my favorite shades of nail polish.

The formula is a bit streaky the first two coats, so I added a third coat to be completely even. But even with one coat, it is fairly opaque. 
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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Which Disney Princess would you like to see next?



There are so many Disney Princesses to choose from! Which one would you like to see next? And which ones would you like to see in upcoming posts? Let me know in the comment section below!

I have already done: Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Merida, and Elsa.
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Friday, March 28, 2014

Let It Go | Frozen


Even though it has been a few days since the release of Disney's Frozen on DVD, I figured it would be the perfect time to continue my Disney Princess eye makeup series. Although the look is similar to Elsa, there are some aspects of "Frozen" thrown in the mix. For instance, the added blue and white accents.


 Elsa is known for having purple eyeshadow, thick eyelashes, raspberry "frost bitten" cheeks, and pink lips.


I absolutely love this movie and have been waiting to put this look together. If you are interested in seeing how I did the makeup and what I used, watch the video below.


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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender

Press Sample. Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender was sent to me for review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender* is a "revolutionary water-clear finish that sets, extends wear, minimizes pores, and looks flawless." The product retails for $40 and can be found at mallybeauty.com and Ulta.com

The Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender is unique. It is a colorless finishing product that has a silicone feel to it. It comes with a thick triangular Japanese sponge for application that works well. The face defender is suppose to be applied after your makeup to set it. Instantly, after applying the face defender, the shine on my face disappears. The only thing I noticed was that my face would get shiny fairly quickly. 

Image from allurabeauty.com
Next, I decided to try out a different method of applying the product. I used it underneath my makeup, (but over my moisturizer) and again on top of my makeup once it was done. I had less shine after a few hours, but I did notice that my makeup was slipping off. 
Freshly applied
Excuse my silly looking face, but here shows the results after about 5 hours. On the left side of my face, I had applied the face defender on top of my makeup. On the right side, I applied the defender both underneath and on top of my makeup. Clearly, the right side looks less shiny, but there still is some shine present.

After reading many reviews saying that this product was amazing and kept skin matte all day, I was pretty disappointed. Not saying this is a terrible product that doesn't work, but it just didn't live up to the expectations I had for it. These are just my experiences and may be different then yours. So if you think it is something worth investing in, go for it and try it out. I personally will stick to my translucent powder from now on. 
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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

NYX Radiant Finishing Powder

 "Illuminate the skin with an overall brightening effect. This multi-color powder finishes your makeup look and helps skin stay fresh and smooth-looking."
NYX Radiant Finishing Powder in Brighten ($8.99) is an all over color correcting pressed powder. The powder features six color correcting shades that claim to brighten and even out skin tone.
Swatched individually, the separate colors appear pastel. Like this, I wondered how these shades would show up on me. 
However, when all the shades are swirled together, you get a beautiful iridescent effect. It brightens up the face and gives that subtle radiant glow. As far as evening effect, I haven't noticed much of an even skin tone, I've mostly noticed more of the brightening aspect. 

NYX Radiant Finishing powder is suppose to be a dupe for the Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powder in Porcelain Pearl ($52). I personally haven't tried the Bobbi Brown one, but it looks very similar and  some have said the results are exactly the same. So if you want to try out the Bobbi Brown one, save your money and opt for NYX.
Image from Sephora.com
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Monday, March 24, 2014

Mani Monday | Minnie Mouse


I know I'm cutting it close in calling this post a "Mani Monday" as it is already 11:50pm, but I wanted to share with you the manicure I had this past weekend. I went to Disney World and decided to sport a Minnie Mouse manicure! I just used a red, black, and white nail polish and used dotting tools to recreate the dots and Minnie Mouse herself! (The black looks navy because this is from my Instagram, and the filter made it look like that.) 

Hope you all had a great Monday!
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Thursday, March 20, 2014

Lorac Pocket Pro Palette

 The Lorac Pocket Pro Palette is a 3 shadow palette designed to be able to place in a touch up bad and use on the go. It retails for $15 and is available at Ulta, Kohls, and loraccosmetics.com
 The three shadows featured are Nude, Pewter, and Expresso. Both Nude and Pewter are shimmery shadows while Expresso is a matte.

The texture is velvety-smooth and the pigmentation is great for the three of the shades. The pocket Pro palette's three shadows are 3x bigger than the original Pro Palette.
Since this palette is made to be used as "on-the-go" touch ups, this palette can be used in more ways then just what meets the eyes (get it? Terrible pun I presume lol). Not only can it be used as its obvious use, but Nude can be used as a highlighter on the cheeks, Pewter can be used wet to apply as an eyeliner, and finally Expresso can also be used wet as an eyeliner, or dry as a brow powder. How about that for extra use!

The Lorac Pocket Pro is a perfect introductory palette for those who are new to eyeshadows. Since it has three shades, it can be used for a daytime look or a dramatic look. It is also perfect for the already eyeshadow savvy beauties as this is a great addition to include in your collection.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Rimmel Stay Matte Dream Team

 Rimmel London has had the Stay Matte pressed powder for quite some time now. Just recently, Rimmel launched two new additions to the Stay Matte family: the Stay Matte Liquid Mousse foundation and the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer.

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
The primer has an ultra lightweight formula that is suppose to minimize the look of pores and control oil for up to 8 hours. The primer can be used alone, underneath makeup, or on top of makeup. The primer starts off as a white slightly thick texture and blends into the skin perfectly. My skin feels soft and the look of pores is minimized a bit. As far as oil control, it does a decent job on its own. Under other foundations, it works alright, but with the Rimmel Stay Matte foundation, it works! I have yet to use it on top of makeup because I'm not sure how that would work, if you know, please let me know =)

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation
I won't go into much detail here as I already have a post dedicated to this foundation, (click here). As I have already mentioned, this foundation is also a lightweight formula that has medium coverage. It covers up all my imperfections and redness. Be aware, though, as it can get cakey if you apply too much. Start off with a small amount, then increase if needed. A little goes a long way with this foundation.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
Most likely the most popular product in this collection, the pressed powder offers natural shine control for up to 5 hours. If you apply too much, your face may look powdery, so keep application at a minimum. My face stays matte for up to 4 hours, which is pretty good. I have recently repurchased this  since I ran out of my other one. I buy 01 Transparent, although I've heard that the shades will look natural as well. I might call this a holy grail powder because I have repurchased it and it does help to control oils.
L-R: Stay Matte Primer and the Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

I used all of the products in conjunction today to see how they complimented each other. The primer set the canvas perfectly for the foundation. The foundation clings on well to the primer and stays in place all day. On top of the foundation, I applied the powder for extra oil control. I didn't start to get shiny until 5-6 hours after application, which says a lot for me. Overall, I think the dream team works perfectly together. Get a chance to check it out and try them all together! The three products together truly is a dream team!
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Monday, March 17, 2014

Mani Monday | Sally Hansen I-rush Luck

Happy Saint Patricks Day! Hope you don't forget to wear green! Today I have the Sally Hansen I-rush Luck nail polish to show you. I'm not much for one to wear green nail polish, but this green color is actually quite pretty. I currently have shorter nails because most of them broke while I gave my nails a rest from nail polish, and I just filed them all down. Good thing is, they will grow again! 

Enjoy your St. Patty's day! Hopefully I will be able to grab the McDonald's Shammrock Shake before its too late! 
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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Top 12 Lipsticks | Fair to Light Skin

 Hey everyone! Hope you are all doing well. My cousin recently requested for me to make a post about lipsticks for fair to light skin. Unfortunately, I do not have one dedicated to medium or dark skin as of yet because majority of my colors are for my skin tone. While I was putting this post together, I just grabbed whatever lippies I had that look best on me. I didn't have a set number, but it ended up being twelve. Turns out that I have six drugstore products and six high-end products. Perfect!
1. Wet n Wild Just Peachy - Just Peachy is part of the Megalast line and is a peachy nude. I have a difficult time finding nude lipsticks because some are too brown and look awful. Pink or peach hued nudes look best. Unfortunately, these Megalast lipsticks are a bit drying, so make sure to exfoliate and moisturize before using. ($2.99)
2. MAC Patisserie - Patisserie is classified as a sheer neutral pink, but I think it leans more pinky brown. Since it is a lustre, there are some shimmers in it, but it makes the lipstick look shiny. I find that this shade is a close resemblance to "my lips but better". ($16.00)
3. Tarte Coral Blossom - Coral Blossom is a newer lipstick from Tarte and is part of the Amazonian butter line. It is described as a salmon pink. ($16.00)
4. Bite Beauty Fig - Fig is a nude rose shade, probably one of my favorite lipsticks I own. The color brings some life into my face. In my opinion, Bite Beauty makes one of the most creamy and moisturizing formulas for lipsticks. ($24.00)
5. Wet n Wild Think Pink - Also from the Megalast line, Think Pink is a cool light pink. These shades are very difficult to pull off, just like Just Peachy, but they are great additions to the collection. ($2.99)
6. Revlon Berry Smoothie - Berry Smoothie is a pink shade with some berry in it. This is another shade that brightens up my complexion. Berry Smoothie is a lip butter, so if you are in the mood for something less opaque, lip butters are your way to go. There is some microglitter in this, but if you don't mind it, its a great product. ($6-7)
7. Revlon Pink Truffle - Another lip butter, Pink Truffle is a pink brown shade which leads more on the brown side. Although not my favorite out of the bunch, it does create a pretty look for fair skinned beauties. ($6-7)
8. Wet n Wild Mauve Outta Here - Another Megalast lipstick, Mauve Outta Here is a medium, cool toned purple/pink. It is a bright purple/pink, but not too bright that its neon. ($2.99)
9. MAC Plumful - Plumful is described as a blossoming rose/plum. This lipstick is gorgeous for fall and I love the way plummy rose shades look on fair/light skin tones. Plumful is listed as a lustre lipstick. ($16.00)
10. Tarte Enchanted - I love Tarte Lipsurgences Lip Tints because they have staining properties to them. Enchanted is a rose shade and looks lovely on the lips. The left over stain is a lighter version of the original, but it lasts a good amount of time on the lips. These are probably one of my favorite lip products ever made. ($24.00)
11. NYX Rose - This lipstick was actually a pleasant surprise. I need to purchase more of these! When I first swatched this lippie, I did not think it would be called Rose, since the swatch is a bright pinkish red coral. I thought it would have a spicy name to it. However, it read Rose! ($3.99)
12. Bite Beauty Pomegranate - Pomegranate is listed as a cherry red. Not sure why they call it Pomegranate instead of cherry! Regardless, this is a nice blue toned red lipstick that compliments fair/light skin tones. The blue tones in it give a lively look, where as warm/orange toned red lipsticks look okay. ($24.00)

Hopefully this helped! If you have any suggestions of other lipsticks best for fair skin, please let me know!
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Friday, March 14, 2014

Like a Dark Horse | Eye Look

I can't stop singing Katy Perry's "Dark Horse". It has such a catchy tune and is literally stuck in my head all the time. I had been thinking of a look to make to represent the song for a while. I didn't really want to recreate the look from her music video, so I set out to find something else. Low and behold, the Urban Decay Naked palette has a shade called "Darkhorse"! So I took the opportunity to recreate my version of "Dark Horse". 

 I applied Darkhorse on the lid, then mixed Naked and Sidecar to place into the crease. As the highlight, I used Sin. I used Half-Baked in the inner corner and slightly blended it throughout the lid. Next, I applied a little bit of Hustle into the lid. Finally, I took Creep and placed that close to the upper lash line. 
For the cat eye, I used Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner, and for the lower lash line, I used Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last eye pencil in Black Point. Using the NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Gold, I placed two dots at the end points of the liners.
I may or may not have forgotten to use mascara (lol, actually I did forget, oops!) But I think the outcome looks fine without it. 

 For lips, I used the Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.


Enjoy!
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

I am so excited to do this review! I have been wanting to try this foundation for ever! I've seen so many UK beauty bloggers rave about it. Finally, Becki gave me the opportunity to try it out when we did our USA/UK beauty swap.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation claims to be a 16-hr radiance booster foundation that also evens and revives the complexion. It is marketed as a gel foundation that is made "from a vitamin-rich fruit therapy formula for an even complexion and an instant anti-fatigue result."
There are two things I most admire about this foundation, 1) There is a pump!, 2) in which I found it a pleasant surprise, is the fresh scent it has. In the mornings, I love applying it because the scent wakes me up and makes me feel even more clean. The foundation is formulated with litchi, goji berries, and pomegranates, hence why it smells amazing!

As far as the gel like consistency, I do not agree with that. Although the foundation is light, it feels more liquid then a gel consistency. The foundation glides onto the skin and blends like a dream.
I have the shade 51 Vanille clair, which is the lightest shade. I'm very impressed with the coverage. Although it is a light coverage, it covers all my redness and some blemishes. Definitely makes me appear more awake. It is a natural/dewy finish, which I think I will enjoy during the spring/summer months. The radiance does show up more throughout the day, which is a plus for many people.

Lasting power isn't that great on me as I am combo/oily. I begin to see shine around hour 3, and the foundations starts to break down at hour 5-6. Which isn't too bad, considering it is a natural/dewy finish. I try not to let that bother me because I love the way this foundation looks and feels on me.

Although I am more apt to using natural/matte finishes, this is definitely a nice foundation to have in your collection if you can get your hands on it!
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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder

 I have been looking for a light toned bronzer, but it has been a difficult feat. Every one I spoke too and have read reviews on said that Benefit Hoola was light and perfect for fair skin. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of Hoola. So once I saw Essiebutton say that the Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 01 was perfect for fair skin, I had to get it! I had seen that it looked natural on her and that it indeed was perfect for fair skin.
 The Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder retails for $20, but often, The Body Shop has great promotions including 40% off the entire store, which brings down the price to $12. There is 0.40 ounces of product, which is a generous amount. There are four matte shades available, but as I mentioned above, I got 01 which is the lightest. I love the design they placed on the powder, it is like a honey comb! I really don't want it to rub off, its so cute. 
 Honey Bronzer 01 is a warm bronzer, but it isn't really orange; it looks very natural on the skin. It's a nice bronzer to contour with as well as add some warmth into your skin.
Above I am using the bronzer as a contour. Very subtle, but there, just as I wanted.
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Monday, March 10, 2014

Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick | Coral Blossom


 Hello beauties, hope you had a great weekend! I am currently on spring break, and can finally breathe for a minute before I come back to university next week.

The other day I picked up this lovely Tarte Amazonian Butter lipstick at Ulta. I found the packaging so adorable, and could not resist. I even fell more in love with it after I saw the price tag: $16. For me, this is a great price considering that my beloved Tarte Lipsurgences are $24, and both are 0.1 oz. The lipstick cover is made out of cardboard and the color and pattern is different depending on the shade you choose.
 I bought the shade Coral Blossom which is a salmon pink, and I think it is the perfect shade for spring/summer. These lipsticks are creamy and also have that minty scent just like the popular Lipsurgences. Some advice for you, make sure to exfoliate before applying this lipstick as it can grab on to dry patches. I made that mistake the first time I wore it (eek!). Coral Blossom does have microglitter but it is not very noticeable in person. It gives the lips more of a glisten, which is a pretty effect. On me, the lipstick wore for 3-4 hours and then started to wear off. Taken, I did eat and drink during that time, so it may last a bit longer.
 On the arm, it swatches pretty heavily, but when I apply it to my lips, it looks a little too creamy and I have to wipe off the excess. Hence why now, the color is not as vibrant. I'm pretty sure I can apply it without it looking extra creamy, but it takes practice. 
This is a beautiful lipstick to have and I'm so glad I picked it up. It is more on the affordable side of Tarte's products and I may pick up another one later on.
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