MAC Parfait Amour and Violet Trance Eyeshadows

A few people have been asking to see my MAC haul.. I really didn't buy much.. I only bought a few things. I bought two purple eye shadows called "Parfait Amour" and "Violet Trance". "Violet Trance" is from the latest "Maira Kalman" collection. I was debating whether to get the eye shadow or "Push the Edge" purple pigment. I ended up getting the shadow. "Parfait Amour" is a shadow I've been wanting for a long time. I want Beautiful Iris as well.. but I'll wait till my next MAC visit.

I also purchased a retractable brow liner crayon in the shade "Spiked". This was always my HG pencil until I started using eye shadow to color in my brows. I LOVE this pencil.. it goes on not too harsh and it makes coloring in my brows so easy. But I stopped repurchasing it because there isn't a lot of product. I would run out of this thing in like 3 weeks... and at $15 a pop, I had to find something else. My MAC "Espresso" eye shadow has lasted well over a year and I've been using it every day. I've hit the pan, but I still have plenty left for a long time.. and at $14.50 it's a better investment for me. I love the pencil though and It's so much easier so I cracked and bought one.

Early last week I got MAC Plum Trance Metal X cream shadow off of Specktra. I paid $10 for it.. and the thing was DRY and incredibly crumbly. I was so excited to receive it and I was incredibly upset about it. I can't use it... if I try, I get crumbles all over the place and then I've got purple all over my clothes, hands and floor. I tried reviving it with water and Visine and neither worked. :( I'm just going to use it for a back to mac. What a waste of money.

Violet Trance was so hard to take a picture of, no matter what setting I put my camera on, it captured it blue. In person, it looks a lot more purple.

I'm liking Parfait Amour a lot, but I am disappointed with Violet Trance. It is not pigmented at all. The consistency is very chalky. It's not soft at all. If you have "Carbon".. the consistency is almost the same.. but the pigmentation of it is not even half as good. I had to pack it on with a base and put layer after layer and the color payoff just did not get any darker. I LOVE the color, its my ideal shade of purple.. but I'm still on the lookout. Does anyone have any suggestions for that BOLD, Pigmented, Grape purple??

I also threw in a MAC Top Hat swatch.. which I use for liner a lot when I want a splash of color. When I do a look with purple, I always use Urban Decay "Flash" eyeshadow which is one of my all time favorites.

POLL: Dye my hair DARK, or stay the SAME?

Do you ever look in the mirror and get sick of the way you look? LOL When this happens to me, I always end up buying a box of hair dye. My hair color is always a complete impulse thing. All day I've been thinking about dying my hair back to my normal hair color. I first gave myself a full head of blonde highlights back in April. When I dyed my hair, it was shorter, I was using a blow dryer, no treatments, curling irons, heavy hair extensions, etc. My hair was HORRIBLE and the ends were all broken. Since then, I've taken good care of my hair and its around 4 inches longer and I have minimal split ends and its thicker and a lot healthier. I think my hair will look a lot better now. My natural hair color is a very dark brown.. I usually dye it black brown so it will fade to my natural color. If I dye it dark brown, then it will end up fading to a medium brown. I was also thinking of possibly putting some blonde strands underneath my hair.. very few. but just so I have a pop of color. I feel like with the more blonde I put in my hair, a lot of colors in clothing don't look good on me anymore, and it's extremely hard getting dressed in the morning. Also, it's hard to pull off colored eyeshadows. I love wearing warm colors, but with my hair color now, brights look better. With my dark colored hair, everything matches.. and dramatic eye makeup looks good on me. And, I'm getting my drivers license renewed in a few days.. lol so I want to figure out so I can have a nice picture. haha So, if you're reading this post, please post a comment! 

MY ROOTS OR MY CURRENT!?

  

 I don't know why I can't find any pictures of me with my dark hair. Here's one at least from a couple years ago. This is with BLACK hair though.. I wouldn't go that dark.

and you all know my hair now..

TAG: Products I'm using right now!

I love when I see people do this tag! I love reading what everyone likes to use.. it sometimes gives me ideas. If you haven't already done one I think you should! :)

Shampoo: Folicure Extra Shampoo (repairs and thickens) & once a week I use Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo to revive my highlights.
Conditioner: Folicure Moisturizing Conditioner
Treatments: GVP Concentrated Leave in Treatment (dupe for Sebastian potion 9) and GVP Leave-in Treatment (dupe for Redkin extreme anti-snap)
Styling products: Fantasia heat protector/polisher, Phyto hair relaxing balm for anti-frizz and shiny hair, Beyond the Zone Flipped Out Hair Spray styler
Styling Tools: Jibere de Paris Nano Ceramic flat iron
Shower Gel: I use whatever I have.. right now I'm using Dove beauty body wash in "energize"
Body moisturiser: Dove cream oil for Normal/Dry skin. Nothing makes my skin softer after I shower!
Deodorant: Secret Clinical Strength
Fake Tan: SUN Labs spray, St Moriz Mousse and Jergens Natural Glow
Cleanser: Neutrogena Cleansing Towelettes or Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleansing pads
Exfoliator: I-skin crystal microdermabrasion creme
Primer: I just use my moisturizer Estee Lauder Daywear Plus Cream
Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in "Tawny"
Foundation brush: MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush
Concealer: MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW25
Powder: Ben Nye Neutral Set, Ben Nye Banana Visage or MAC Blot Powder in Medium-dark.
Blusher: Lately I've been wearing MAC Dainty Mineralize Blush
Bronzer: MAC Golden Bronzer or Chanel Bronze Universal
Highlighter: MAC Honour Blush
Eyeshadow base: L'Oreal HIP Cream Shadow Paint in "Secretive"
Eyeshadows: NYX Black, NYX Eyeshadow Trio in "Ceramic" these are my blacks and grays for my everyday look. I'll wear Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy eye shadow for something shimmery.
Eyeliner: L'Oreal Extra Intense Black Liquid Liner Pencil & Milani Eye Tech Black Liner Pen
Curler: Shu Uemura
Mascara: Right now I'm using Estee Lauder Magnascopic Mascara. Typically, 90% of mascaras end up under my eyes, but this one doesn't! :)
Brows: Tweezerman Tweezers, MAC Espresso e/s, Urban Decay Twice Baked e/s with a thin brush or MAC "Spiked" retractable brow pencil/crayon
Lipstick: MAC Hue Lipstick or NYX Honey Lipstick
Lipgloss: Currently I'm using NYX Whipped or Sorbet, MAC Underage.
Nail Colour: ULTA Flamingo

NYX Lipstick Swatches. Nude Lipstick Heaven!!!

NYX Round Lipsticks

NYX Round Lipsticks. From Left to Right: Honey, Circe & Orange Soda.

NYX Round Lipsticks. From Left to Right: Honey, Circe & Orange Soda.

Swatches from Left to Right: NYX Orange Soda, NYX Circe, NYX Honey & NYX Pumpkin Pie.

 NYX Circe is an opaque, muted neutral beige-mauve.

NYX Orange Soda is an opaque, muted orange-peach.

NYX Honey, is an opaque, muted tan-beige. It's very similar to Circe, but it lacks the mauve/pink tone that is present in Circe. Honey is more tan toned.

NYX Pumpkin Pie is a mid-toned peached coral with a touch of pink. It is the least opaque of the previous three, but the color is buildable.

NYX Round Lip Glosses

NYX Round Lipglosses from Left to Right: Whipped, Sorbet, Ballerina Pink, Pink & Doll Pink.

Swatches from Left to Right: NYX Ballerina Pink, NYX Pink, NYX Doll Pink.

NYX Ballerina Pink is a bright, mid-toned pink with a very soft pearled shimmer. 

NYX Pink is a bright, mid-toned pink. It is almost the same as Ballerina Pink, but it is a bit more vibrant and has less shimmer.

NYX Doll Pink is a bright, mid-toned fuschia pink. The ultimate "Barbie" lip color.

Swatches from Left to Right: NYX Sorbet, Whipped.

NYX Sorbet is a light (warm) bubblegum pink with a subtle shimmer.

NYX Whipped is a light (warm) pinked peach.

Studio ELF Brushes & Bronze w/ Purple FOTD!

I received my E.L.F Studio Brushes in the mail today.. and I am very pleased. I love the sleek look of them.. and they are very well worth the $3. The bristles are extremely soft. I've been playing around with them all day. I am loving the flat top powder brush and the blush brush. Highly Recommended! I actually applied my foundation with the flat top brush.. it worked well but it was extremely difficult to clean. I think i'll just keep using it for powder/msf's.

Here's a look I did for tonight. I could not for the life of me get a good picture.

my necklace turned upside down for the peekchure. :'( 

FACE:
Palladio Yellow Concealer
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
MAC Limited Edition Beauty Powder in "Smooth Harmony" (basically a bronzer)
MAC "Dainty" Mineralize Blush

EYES:
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in "Mocha" and "Walnut" (walnut all over lid and in crease, mocha on my brow bone and on lid)
NYX Eye Shadow in "Purple"
NYX Glitter Palette in "Bronze Goddess" (I used the 3rd color on my lid for a touch of gold glitter)
Andrea Faux Lashes #13
L'Oreal Extra Intense Black Liquid Liner Pencil (on my waterline)

LIPS: (A new fav combo)
MAC "Lure" Lip Liner Pencil
NYX "Honey" Lipstick
NYX "Whipped" Lipgloss

NYX pigments are seriously awesome. I want every color.

FOTD with bright green!

For my look today.. I only used the NYX Trio Eyeshadow Palette in Serengeti.. mainly to show the colors of that palette.. and not to get mixed up with other colors/brands. I'll have more looks to come. This was just something quick I did this morning experimenting. Also I just wanted to comment on the quality of the trio. Like I said before.. I think its really great quality. The colors are very silky and soft and when applied these were very bright and pigmented with a little shimmer. I love this palette!

FACE:
MAC Mineralize Satinfinish Foundation NC40
Palladio Yellow Concealer
Ben Nye "Banana" Luxury Powder
MAC New Vegas MSF
MAC Golden Bronzer
MAC Dainty Blush

EYES:
NYX Eyeshadow Trio in Serengeti (I used all the colors)
Milani Black Eye Tech Liquid Liner Pen
MAC "Fascinating" (White) Eye Liner
Andrea Faux Lashes #26

LIPS:
NYX Doll Pink Lipgloss (The perfect barbie pink/fuchsia)

dang my hair looks long in this picture! no extensions.. :)

yeah, yeah.. most people can't stand kissy faces.. but it shows my eyes opened.. and I didn't have many decent eye pics. haha, my friends use to tease me because I would kind of pucker my lips when I apply lip gloss or look at myself in my compact mirror.. and they would call it the Zoolander face.

These flowers by my house are soo pretty.. had to take a picture :) Lately, I've been taking pictures of everything. lol

Cherryculture Haul: All NYX!

I was so excited coming home this morning and seeing a Cherry Culture box sitting on the table! I was hoping my E.L.F purchase was going to come at the same time.. but hopefully I should get that either tomorrow or the day after. I'm VERY pleased with how fast the shipment was! I placed the order last Wednesday night.. so it took 5 days.

I didn't waste any time to bust open the box!! Everything was packed well, nothing was missing or broken.

NYX The Runway Collection 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Catwalk $9.00
This is a mixture of matte and shimmery browns & neutrals.


NYX Eye Shadow Trio in Serengeti $5.50


 NYX Glitter Cream Palette in Bronze Goddess $4.00


 NYX Single Eye Shadows in Morocco, Purple and Hot Pink $3.50 each




NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Pigments $1.50 each


NYX Jumbo Eye Shadow Pencil in Purple $3.00


NYX Round Lip Gloss $2.00 each


NYX Round Lipstick $2.00 each
These colors are all perfect neutral lip colors. They are pigmented and very creamy! Love them!




I am honestly ecstatic with my order. I was not disappointed with even one thing! I am soo happy with everything. I actually want to order more.. and I think I probably will. I think I can honestly say.. Out with MAC.. in with NYX. $40 for all of this!?? That's insane to me.

The reason I didn't do swatches yet is because my camera died exactly on the last picture I took.. so right now my camera is charging. Check back soon for swatches!

Project Clear Skin: The Aspirin Mask.

The Aspirin Mask

If you're a member of Makeupalley or any other beauty community site you've probably heard about the highly reviewed/talked about Aspirin Mask. I've always been curious to try it, so on my recent trip to Dollar Tree I purchased a bottle of uncoated Aspirin Tablets. 175 tablets for $1! Nice! I wasted no time when I got back home to try it out. (You can find uncoated Aspirin at any drugstore for under $5 a bottle)

I placed (3) tablets in the palm of my hand and applied a few drops of water onto the tablets and let them sit for about a minute. They should be fully dissolved into a pasty like texture. Then, I dabbed the mixture on the trouble areas of my face. Mainly where I had new pimples forming. I let it sit for 10 minutes on my face and rinsed it off. Then, I applied a little witch hazel to my face with a cotton ball as a toner. (I always use witch hazel after a cleanser)

The following morning, my face was almost completely clear!!!!! Today I was in the facial mood again, so I did my Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask and the Aspirin Mask again. My face is feeling oh so good! :)

Update: My method now for applying the Aspirin Mask is slightly different. I still use (3) tablets with a few drops of water, but I also add about a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to the mixture. Then, instead of dabbing it onto my face like I did previously, I'll rub it on my face like I would with an exfoliation scrub. Then, I let it sit on my face for about ten minutes. Then, I'll wet my hands and wipe the mask off my face in circular motions to do some last second exfoliation. Then, I'll completely rinse my face. It feels so fresh and incredibly soft from the Olive Oil. Then like before, I apply Witch Hazel to my face with a cotton ball. The following morning my skin looks so radiant and almost blemish free!

Tips:

• Since the Aspirin breaks up into a baking soda-like powder, its not going to stick that well to your face. The water will dry, and the Aspirin will turn back into its powder form and may flake or fall off of your face. So I just laid down for the 10 minutes. You can add anything you want to it to make it adhere better. I've read ton of reviews. Some people have used honey, Aloe Vera gel, oils (such as lavender, almond, coconut, olive, jojoba, etc), yogurt, lemon juice, etc. You can get creative!
• Don't add too much water or it may be difficult to apply

There are also tons of household items that can help clear up break outs. Some include:
Baking soda mixed with a bit of water.. and use it as an exfoliation scrub to remove dead skin cells that can clog pores, Lemon or Lime Juice has citric acid which will help fade old acne spots, Oatmeal will absorb the oils from your face and help unclog your pores, Aloe Vera will heal acne spots and fade marks & Toothpaste helps dry up your pimples. There are so many different remedies. I haven't tried any of these things yet.. But I definitely will. The Aspirin has me sold!

Here's a couple of pictures. I'm so embarrassed to post the before pic. My complexion has always pretty much been naturally clear.. but the past month my face has been breaking out like crazy. The pictures are super close and personal.. lol I snapped a picture of my worse cheek.



Have you tried the Aspirin Mask? Do you use it alone or do you mix things with it?

A couple follow ups/reviews!

As, you know, I purchased a few Ben Nye products [click here if you didn't see the post] and I've been using them all week. Let me tell you what I think of them.

Ben Nye Powder Blush in "Cool Pink". I really like this blush. It's a bright, matte, fuchsia pink. The texture is some what chalky. It's definitely not a smooth, silky powder. One thing I really like about it, because of its consistency, when I swipe my blush brush, you don't get a lot of product on the brush. That way, you can swipe the blush and brush it on your cheeks and go back for more if you need it.. instead of getting too much on your brush and putting a big blotch on your face by accident. I used this with foundation and without foundation. When I used it without foundation, it gave my cheeks an extremely natural blushed color. The color my cheeks would turn if I was exercising and my cheeks became a little flushed. That it something I really like about it. I absolutely love this.. I can't tell if its "Holy Grail" material yet, but It's a very good blush and worth the price. I will be buying more of these in diff. colors! Have you used Ben Nye blushes? What did you think? What colors have you tried?

Ben Nye Banana Visage Powder This powder is great. I've been using it every day and I LOVE it. What I like about compared to Neutral Set, is the tiny bit of yellow/peach tint it gives. I typically use it under my eyes to set my cream concealer.. and because of the yellow tint, it conceals my dark circles a tad better. (Since yellow cancels out purples) I also have been using a synthetic haired kabuki brush and using it to buff my face after I applied my foundation. This is probably the best setting powder I've used. Some of my foundations are a tad on the pink side, and this really makes it look more golden. It blends in perfectly with my foundations. This is definitely a HG product and I'm so glad I decided to order it. And, it was only a few bucks!

I picked up a couple things lately that I haven't really tried until the past two days and I'm loving them. They are the Boots No7 Color Calming Makeup Base and Palladio Yellow Concealer. The Makeup Base I purchased from Target (it was on clearance for a couple dollars) and the Palladio concealer I purchased from Sally's for a few dollars.



Honestly, I freaked out when I put the green primer on my face.. it is GREEN. Like Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque green. And I put it all over my face and it gave my face and I ended up wiping it off because I didn't expect it to be so pigmented. Well, I tried it again yesterday. I applied a little moisturizer to my whole face. Then, since green cancels out red, I applied this under and around my eyes where there was red and on my cheeks and chin. I was really surprised to see how it removed the rosiness in my face and neutralized everything. I was pretty blown away that a primer could do that. And I used it again today, and I'm just loving this stuff. My boyfriend has rosy cheeks and he hates it.. and I told him "Hey!! I found something that can cover the redness on your cheeks and its not makeup!" haha so yes, if you have this problem too, this may be a product you'd like to check out!

And since I was doing all this color correcting, haha I decided to try out my Palladio Yellow Concealer. Since I canceled the redness under my eyes with the primer, the color left over was the purple.. so for that you need yellow. Its in a lipstick like form.. so I applied it under my eyes with the stick pretty thickly.. and I took a concealer brush and blended it evenly.. and my dark circles were completely gone. Here I've been searching for a new concealer to try out and I had this little tube in my makeup drawer unused. It is definitely quite yellow, but once I applied my foundation, you couldn't see it. So this is another drugstore fave! yay! I haven't tried much from Palladio, but I've heard great things.. I use their Wet/Dry powder and its amazing. I'd love to try more! :)

Here's a swatch of both products!



Today I used MAC Mineralize Satinfinish foundation.. and Its a foundation I bought a long time ago and it has been sitting in my drawer because It really wasn't one of my favorite foundations. It provided good coverage.. but I have been using other ones I liked better I suppose. I used it today because I'm running low on foundation, and my face looked FLAWLESS. Isn't it weird sometimes how you will apply your makeup one day and it will look amazing, and you'll apply it exactly the same way the next day and it looks like crap? I don't know if it was the primer or what. I notice when I don't have self tanner on my face, my foundation looks pretty bad. My face color without self tanner would probably be like a NC20-25.. and with tanner its a definite NC35-40. And I know the Mineralize Foundation (I have it in NC40) would look horrid and extremely yellow if I didn't have a good tan on my face. I find that its somewhat true for Fix Fluid too. I don't have that problem with my Estee Lauder Double Wear.. it always looks the same. The mineralized foundation is slightly dewy and pearly.. and gives wonderful coverage. I think the main thing I didn't like about it is that it's slightly more yellow/beige than Fix Fluid. I liked the more golden tone. Maybe If I tried this in NC37 it would be better.. but I think next time I go to the MAC counter I'll try out a sample because it really gave me an airbrushed look today.


Here's a comparison of foundations. they look almost the same but there's a slight difference.


I was laying down.. lol

I used MAC Mineralize Foundation in NC40, Palladio Yellow Concealer, Ben Nye Banana Luxury Powder under my eyes, Chanel Bronze Universel Bronzer on the hollows of the cheeks, Ben Nye Cool Pink Blush on the apples of my cheeks and MAC New Vegas msf for a highlight.


I planted tons of marigolds and only one grew :(


LOL, i always take foot pictures.. i think they're cute. these are my michael kors gladiator flats.. love em!

MAC Lipliner Swatches!

Chicory - Soft, muted peachy brown.

Lure- A muted, browned coral (LE).

Spice- Pink cinnamon stick.Cedar - A rich, rose-flushed brown (LE).

Stripdown - Creamy brown-beige.

Subculture - Underground pink.

Hover - Rich, caramel brown.

From Left to Right: MAC Chicory, Lure, Spice, Cedar, Stripdown, Subculture and Hover.

My most worn are Stripdown, Hover and Spice. Chicory and Lure are a little too red toned for every day wear and subculture is the exact same color as my lips, so it really doesn't do much.

View all shades on the MAC website here.

Overview: MAC Concealers! (MAC Studio Finish, MAC Select Cover Up, MAC Moisturecover & Studio Stick) Lots of Swatches!

I'm going to briefly go over MAC concealers and which are my favorites...

MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer - A luxurious, blendable moisturizing concealer in a tube with a doe-foot applicator. Has a natural satin-smooth, ultra-moisturizing finish. Layers for added coverage. Line-softening, Skin-perfecting.

MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer - Liquid camouflage for the skin. Texture-free, virtually invisible. Comes in a tube. Blends in. Brightens and lightens dark areas, erases spots, evens-out skin... Makes skin flaw-free. Use pre-foundation, or on its own. Don't reveal it, conceal it!

MAC Studio Finish Concealer - A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer. Provides a smooth, long-wearing invisible coverage for all skin blemishes. Water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-acnegenic. This emollient-based, lightweight concealer is so concentrated that a tiny amount can provide opaque coverage of the skin's imperfections and discolourations. It effectively covers dark circles, blemishes, moles, tattoos and birthmarks. Enriched with antioxidants (derivatives of Vitamin A and Vitamin E), it also contains Silica to help adsorb the skin's oils. Concealer has an SPF of 35 and is available in a wide range of colours. It can be applied with a medium to firm fiber brush (try the 242 Brush), a latex sponge, or the fingertips.

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer - A creamy concealer that provides full coverage with a natural matte finish. Brushes on with enough blend time to conceal any size of blemish. Rich formulation allows you to use a micro-amount of product to even out skin. Water-resistant and long-wearing.

MAC Studio Stick Concealer - Discontinued.

MAC Studio Touch-Up Stick - Discontinued.

Overview: My favorite concealers from MAC remain to be MAC Select Cover-Up & MAC Studio Finish. MAC Select Cover-Up is your basic liquid concealer that gets the job done. It has a good medium coverage which you can build to almost full, and it conceals blemishes very well. It also lasts me throughout the day and doesn't seem to cake and settle in my fine lines. I've been using this concealer since 2006 and continue to repurchase it every time I'm out! MAC Studio Finish concealer is my favorite full coverage concealer. For a lighter coverage, I use my finger to apply it.. and for fuller coverage.. I like using a concealer brush and patting it under my eyes. I recommend moisturizing your under eyes before applying this so it's easier to spread. Despite the fact that this is a creme/cake concealer.. it's not too thick under my eyes and doesn't feel heavy. It's quite possibly my favorite concealer of all time. I like MAC Select Moisturecover, but I think the color is terrible and is probably the main reason I don't use it. I purchased a NW25, because it's my shade in all MAC concealers.. but in Moisturecover, it's very dark (darker than my skin) and very orange. I would like to try it in NW20 and see if I like it better. The coverage is a light/medium and has a nice radiant, satin finish. I don't find it to be long lasting though. MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer is an alright concealer.. The coverage is similar to Studio Finish, but the consistency is completely different. Studio Sculpt is much more creamier. But because of the creaminess.. when I build it to my desired coverage it tends to cake. MAC Studio Stick (discontinued anyway..) is an okay concealer.. I didn't find it to be anything special. I would compare it to any stick concealer you'd find at your local drugstore. You may be able to still find this at a CCO.

Swatches (indoors, flash)

From Left to Right: MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer NW25, MAC Select Cover-Up Concealer NW25, MAC Studio Stick Concealer NW25 and MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW25.

Moisturecover is definitely the darkest and most orange of the four, Select Cover-Up and Studio Stick are almost identical peachy toned and Studio Finish also comes very close to Select Cover-Up and Studio Stick except it's a touch more yellow.

Unfortunately, I misplaced my Studio Sculpt Concealer and is not included in the swatches.

I hope you found this post/swatches helpful!