Monday, October 29, 2012
I've fallen in love with OPI's Berlin There Done That from the Germany Collection!
If you've previously loved OPI's You Don't Know Jacques, another amazing neutral shade, then you will definitely love Berlin There Done That.
It is more of a milky gray with less of a brown undertone than Jacques, and it will truly go with everything in your Fall/Winter wardrobe. Sometimes OPI can be hit or miss when it comes to the opacity of their shades. It really bugs me when you have to apply 3 really thick coats to achieve anything resembling the color of the bottle. Not so with Berlin! Two coats is all it takes to get a beautiful, non-streaky coverage!
Try it, you'll see!
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| What do you think? Should I take up hand modeling? LOL! |
If you've previously loved OPI's You Don't Know Jacques, another amazing neutral shade, then you will definitely love Berlin There Done That.
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| Left: You Don't Know Jacques. Right: Berlin There Done That |
It is more of a milky gray with less of a brown undertone than Jacques, and it will truly go with everything in your Fall/Winter wardrobe. Sometimes OPI can be hit or miss when it comes to the opacity of their shades. It really bugs me when you have to apply 3 really thick coats to achieve anything resembling the color of the bottle. Not so with Berlin! Two coats is all it takes to get a beautiful, non-streaky coverage!
Try it, you'll see!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
A very important thing happened in makeup history today.
The Marilyn Monroe Collection by MAC came out!
I have always been a huge Marilyn fan so when I found out that MAC was
doing a Marilyn collection, I knew that despite my very meager budget,
at least a few of the products would be mine! I vowed to only eat canned
tuna fish and cereal if it would allow me to lay hands on this
collection!
But by the time I was able to get online and check it out, the entire
collection was SOLD OUT! I immediately called my local MAC store and
they did have a few pieces left in stock. Let me reiterate that the
Marilyn collection came out TODAY and it is selling out faster than you
can say hot cakes! I was able to get my hands on three beautiful items,
but lets be honest here, it really wouldn't matter if they were the
ugliest shades I've ever seen. It's MARILYN MONROE, people!
What's better is that I actually do love the colors I got!
Now, I really do wish I was a die hard Marilyn collector who would never
once touch the items, save them in a shadow box under archival
lighting, and later sell them for a million dollars, but I just can't
help myself! I've already tried everything on and I shall be wearing it
all as often as possible!
And I think that when the products run out I will always keep the
packaging as my own personal little collectors items. Think how cool and
retro they will look 20 years from now!
And now, without further ado, here are some pics of the little beauties!
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| How wonderful is this packaging??? |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary |
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| Marilyn Monroe in The Perfect Cheek |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary |
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| Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek |
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| These shades look quite muted on camera and in person, but on fair skin they are actually very pigmented! The Perfect Cheek has a nice plummy undertone and Legendary is a beautiful soft peach. |
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| Marilyn Monroe Dazzleglass in Phiff |
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| Of the two Dazzleglass shades in this collection this one had a very slightly peachier sheen but it is essentially a clear with high shimmer |
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| Top to Bottom: Marilyn Monroe Dazzleglass in Phiff, Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in The Perfect Cheek, Marilyn Monroe Powder Blush in Legendary |
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
I wasn't planning on doing a review today at all. But as I was washing
my face this evening I saw some bumps looming, dum dum DUM...and I
thought a good purifying mask might be in order. Out came my little
unsung hero, the same mask I've been using since I was old enough to put
a mask on (which for me was probably around 4!), the one and only Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque!
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| Masking it up! |
Now I have used many, many face masks in my skincare career, some that
were great and some that were awful, some that were cheap but mostly
they all seem to cost a fortune, and I still always keep a tube of Mint
Julep Masque at the ready. It's smells minty, as you would imagine,
feels creamy going on, and leaves your skin feeling tightened, toned,
and very soft. The best thing about this little wonder aside from that
fact that it really does work, is the price! This gigantic tube only
cost $3.79! For that price, you practically owe it to yourself to give
this mask a try!
As for the second part of this review, you may notice that my lips in
the picture above are rather nicely stained. This wonderful phenomenon
happened quite by accident and was only noticed as I was applying the
mask! And just like that, my next beauty discovery was born! ;)
Earlier in the day I had applied one of my forgotten Cover Girl Lip Perfection lipsticks
and went about my business. I had some soup, did a little cleaning,
some bathroom organizing, face washing, teeth brushing, and mask
applying. It was only then that I realized how bright my lips still
were! Amazing! This lipstick is not a longwear formula, it's just a
regular old lipstick in the amazing shade Tempt (I'm pretty sure I got
this in a buy one get one half off sale at Walgreens but it's available
almost anywhere), and it is perfect for Fall, which is why I pulled it
out today in the first place. But I guess I had never realized the
staining power that this particular shade gives! When Tempt is applied
in the usual way, it feels smooth and creamy, and as it wears off the
stain left behind feels comfortable and not tight or dry like some
stains. It's a beautiful cool cherry that's not too pink and not too red
and it will now be a go-to shade to keep in my purse! There's something
about a red stain that is so much more wearable than a full on
lipstick. You don't have to worry about it getting on your teeth or
feathering out at the edges. That said, this shade performs great as
both a classic creme lipstick and a stain giving it a solid A+ in my
book!
Have you ever come across a go-to favorite by accident?
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| Cover Girl Lip Perfection in Tempt |
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
I love the changing of seasons and the opportunity to try new things with hair and makeup! This morning was one of those amazing mornings where the sun was ultra bright, the wind was blowing everything about, and it was hard not to smile at the pure joy of it! Because there was that perfect mixture of coolness and warmth in the air, I was inspired to create a makeup look that would blend the cooler tones of Fall with the warm ones. And pretty much like clockwork, when Fall comes around, I start itching for red hair and Brittany was happy to oblige me! Keep reading to see what I used to create the look.
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| I love how this hair color changes in different lights! |
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| Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque and Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light Sheer Tint |
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| glominerals pressed base in honey light applied with the Ecotools Kabuki Brush, & mark bronze pro applied with the Real Techniques Blush Brush |
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| Origins blush in Autumn Glow (discontinued but you could use this instead) applied with the Real Techniques Multi Task Brush & Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Stonewash (discontinued but you could use this instead) applied to brows with the glominerals Dual Brow Brush |
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| Origins Flower Fusion lipstick in Tulip & Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara |
What makeup colors say "Fall" to you?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Stormy Day Makeup
I realize this may be somewhat abnormal, but sometimes I like to match
my makeup to the weather. Or my mood. Sometimes the weather and my mood
match, and that makes it even better! For instance, one morning last
week I woke up and saw these beautiful, bright, yellow rays of sun
coming out from behind a big, ominous looking cloud. So that day I wore a
silvery grey eyeshadow all over the lid with a pop of bright yellow at
the inner corners. It makes me happy, what can I say! Unfortunately, I
didn't take any pictures of that day's makeup so I can't share that with
you, but yesterday dawned a very, dark and stormy day. And it pretty
much stayed that way all day. So, I decided it was the perfect day for a
dark, blue smoky eye and I had just the palette in mind to complete the
look: The Smoked Palette from Urban Decay!
Here's what I used to create the look:
1. MAC Paint Pot in Painterly smudged all over the lids with finger
2. Avon Big Color Pencil in Night Glisten scribbled on the lower half of lid and then blended in & upward with the glominerals texture eye brush
3. Urban Decay shadow in Evidence pressed into Night Glisten with the Real Techniques Shading Brush, then blended upward with the glominerals texture eye brush
4. Urban Decay shadows in Mushroom & Verve blended together from the crease upward with the glominerals texture eye brush
5. Urban Decay shadow in Freestyle blended into & above Mushroom & Verve to blur the dark line with the Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush
6. Urban Decay shadow in Kinky pressed under the brow line with the Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush
7. Urban Decay shadow in Verve tapped into the inner corners with the Real Techniques Shading Brush
8. Urban Decay shadow in Evidence smudged 3/4 of the way under the eye with the Real Techniques Shading Brush
9. Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara on the top & bottom lashes to finish it off
I wonder what tomorrow's weather will be?
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Top 10 Makeup Items I Would Repurchase
Lately I've seen a bunch of people blogging or YouTubing this Tag: Top
10 Items I Would Repurchase. As usual, I love seeing what makeup goodies
other people can't live without, so I was inspired to create my own
list. The premise behind the tag is that these 10 items would be the
first things you would repurchase if somehow all your makeup had been
lost, stolen, broken, etc.
At first it was really hard to narrow the list down because one of the things I love about makeup is changing it up every day! But when I went through everything, I did have some clear cut go-to items that I really would not want to be without. These are also the items that I am most likely to travel with when I am only able to pack the essentials. I did cheat a little bit and put two items per category on some things, since the shade I wear depends on how light/dark my skin is at the moment!
So without further ado, My Top 10 Items I Would Repurchase are:
Also, leave me a comment if you'd like an individual review on any of the products listed here!
At first it was really hard to narrow the list down because one of the things I love about makeup is changing it up every day! But when I went through everything, I did have some clear cut go-to items that I really would not want to be without. These are also the items that I am most likely to travel with when I am only able to pack the essentials. I did cheat a little bit and put two items per category on some things, since the shade I wear depends on how light/dark my skin is at the moment!
So without further ado, My Top 10 Items I Would Repurchase are:
- glominerals pressed base in golden light or golden medium
- glominerals camouflage concealer (for the face) in golden or natural
- Bobbi Brown Corrector (for undereyes) in Light Bisque or Light to Medium Bisque
- mark by Avon bronze pro in Pro Golden
- glominerals blush in bellini or glominerals cream blush in guava
- MAC Paint Pot (eyeshadow primer) in Painterly
- Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow mascara
- Bobbi Brown Stonewashed Nudes Palette (but since it was limited edition & can't be repurchased, my close 2nd choice for eyeshadow is) glominerals Alloy Eyes Collection (both palettes contain shades that I use to fill in my brows too, so they do double duty!)
- Physicians Formula Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes (a brown, black, & purple/pink)
- MAC Viva Glam V if I want a nude lipstick, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie if I want a pink lipstick
Also, leave me a comment if you'd like an individual review on any of the products listed here!
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| glominerals pressed base & glominerals camouflage |
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| Bobbi Brown Corrector & mark bronze pro |
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| glominerals blush & MAC Paint Pot |
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| Almay Get Up & Grow, glominerals Alloy Eyes, & BB Stonewashed Nudes |
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| Physicians Formula Eyeliners, MAC lipstick, & Revlon LipButter |
Friday, August 31, 2012
I Love Purple!
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love purple. It's a little bit of
an obsession. I love every shade variation from pale lilac purple to the
deepest plummy purple. Purple clothes, purple decor, purple earrings,
and of course, purple makeup! ;) If I stand facing a wall of makeup, my
eye will always be drawn to the purple shades first. So, imagine my
delight when i came across the most gorgeous purple lipgloss I've ever
seen! Quick disclaimer: this gloss was part of Revlon's Fall collection
last year, BUT it is still available online here: Revlon ColorBurst lipgloss in Decadent
if you have a purple obsession too and feel that life would not be complete without this particular shade!
A little more current shade of lipstick and one that I believe is a part of their standing collection is
This is a gorgeous matte shade but it's very creamy and not drying at
all. In the tube it seems like it would be way too purple to pull off
but on the lips it takes on more of a berry pink hue. I don't know about
you guys, but when I'm feeling down, a bright happy shade of lipstick
is just the thing to perk me up, and I love Berry Haute for that! In the
below pic I am wearing Berry Haute topped with Decadent gloss.
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| At what age does one become too old for Purple lipstick? (never, is my answer!) |
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| And here is Berry Haute smudged into the lips with my finger, no gloss. |
And for the finishing touches in your purple repertoire, I give you
I know you might scoff at Wet n Wild, but this new formula is very
longwearing and they have a great selection of colors to choose from!
And that concludes this little Ode to Purple!
May your weekend be long, joyous, and filled with all things bright, beautiful, and violet!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Nail Trio
The Bonder by Orly is one of the best base coats I've used. The rubbery texture really helps the polish adhere to the nail. As for the Topless & Barefoot Polish, let's just say, I have a love/hate relationship with Essie in general. I am always drawn in by the Essie colors but I really don't love the sheerness of the polish or the tiny brush. That said, I do love this particular shade enough to suffer through the 3 thick coats that it takes to achieve that perfect opaque look. It has enough pink in it to flatter most skintones and not too much yellow like some nudes can have.
And finally, we have the Sally Hansen Topcoat. I have tried all the high end top coats that promise long wearing, shiny, quick-drying results, but none of them have come close to creating the effect that the Sally Hansen one does. It stays shiny for days and days where other brands become dull after only two days, and it dries super quickly after application. I just love this one!
The resulting effect is a long lasting nude manicure that is perfect for daily wear or any occasion and it also looks great on toes! Let me know if you try this combo and how you liked it!
Friday, August 24, 2012
My New Favorite Drugstore Lip Duo
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| Revlon Balm Stain in Precious & Rimmel Stay Glossy in Non Stop Glamour |
As soon as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains came out, I was hooked! The colors are rich and creamy and extremely long lasting on the lips without being dry in the slightest and the hint of mint flavor is a lovely little perk as well. These balm stains have become my go-to lip product of the summer, especially when I'm working and I don't have time to reapply my lipstick. I've amassed quite a little collection of them over the past few months because I thought that they were going to be limited edition, but now it seems they are part of the regular Revlon collection so I needn't have scrambled to collect them!
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| Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains |
Just a couple of days ago I introduced one of my sisters to this combo and I am hoping that she loves it as much as I do! What lippy pretties have you loved this summer?
Monday, August 20, 2012
Take a bite out of BITE BEAUTY
A very, very exciting thing happened recently. Wait for it...Sephora came to town! Woot! We did already have a little, bitty, tiny one, but it was nothing compared to the vast and shiny beauty mecca that we are privy to now!
At long last, a good friend and I made a date to have a full Sephora exploration. We were both immediately drawn to BITE BEAUTY's display featuring what promised to be the best lipglosses a girl has ever had the luxury to put upon her lips. And you know what? They weren't lying! My friend was looking for the perfect, rosy, your-lips-but-better gloss, and I wanted to try something a little bright and punchy. BITE's Honey Lip Laquers in Gamay and Aurora hit our respective marks perfectly! We were both amazed how even hours later the color payoff was just as bright as when first applied. Now, a small disclaimer. The Honey Lip Laquers look juicy, taste delicious, last on the lips forever, buuuuut, this is not the gloss you want to reach for on a particularly windy day! Or if you're riding on the back of a motorcycle. Or if you are attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Or on a first date. BUT, if you're planning on being indoors, need your lips to look great for hours without having to touch up, and love the flavor of honey, well, honey, this gloss is for you!
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