Revlon Just Enough Buff & Smoked Peach + Wet n Wild Pink Suga Lipstick Swatches!

While I was running a quick errand last night at CVS, I took a quick stroll though the cosmetic aisle. I saw that Revlon had a new display with a bunch of new colors and right away I picked up the lipstick with the name "Smoked Peach #013". If you all don't know me by now, I love my peaches and corals :) Anyways, Revlon was buy 1 get one 50% off so I picked up "Just Enough Buff # 613". I think Just Enough Buff is a common lipstick that many people own, like Revlon Nude Attitude... but it never really appealed to me till last night. Also, I've been meaning to do a contouring tutorial which involves a very dark shade of foundation and a very light. Somehow, I lost the light concealer stick I was using before.. so I went over to Wet n Wild and grabbed a couple of concealers in the shades "Light" & "Light Medium". I also ended up getting one of their lipsticks I haven't seen before (It says new shade anyway..) called "Pink Suga #900B".








(Sorry for the not so great swatches..)

Wet n Wild Pink Suga - I don't think the name pink sugar properly suits this lipstick. I didn't find it to be very pink as I found it to be muted, warm peach. It is very pigmented & you only need a couple of swipes for full coverage. It has a matte finish. I could see it drying out my lips, so I would recommend a lip gloss in addition to the lipstick or a lip balm. If you love peaches, I'm sure you'll love this color.

Revlon Just Enough Buff - This lipstick is a little on the sheer side but you can build more coverage with more swipes. It applies smoothly.. kind of like a MAC Lustre and dries to a semi-shiny satin. The color is beautiful. It's a warm, peach pink with bright pink luster. It almost remind me of my HG MAC Shygirl. I'm sure I'll be wearing this lipstick very often. I found the formula to be somewhat dry and will most likely be using a gloss with it.

Revlon Smoked Peach - Wow this is a bright lipstick. haha It's a bright, warm pinkish coral. It is very pigmented and has a matte finish. This lipstick reminds me of a cross between MAC Vegas Volt and MAC Morange. I really like this color.. but I'm sure I'll only be wearing it once in a while. I'm not very daring with bright lipsticks ;)

I haven't tried the concealers yet, but just keep in mind.. they look much darker in the tube than they did on my skin. Light is slightly warmer than Light-medium.. both colors look almost identical.

Do you own any of these colors? What are your thoughts?

NOTD: Maybelline Express Finish 50 Second Nail Color in Crimson!

I thought I would share a quick NOTD (it should really be Nails of the Week, not day.. lol). It is Maybelline Express Finish 50 Second Nail Color in the shade "Crimson". The nail color does dry quickly and you can apply a second coat within a minute. I used two coats and a top coat. So far, it has been two days and I have no chips. I used a terrible top coat though and my nails are looking a little dull today. They looked gorgeous the day I painted them. If this polish lasts for a full week I'll be sure to use it a lot through the fall and winter. :)

*Update: Terrible! Me and my mom both used this and our nails were chipping like crazy in just a day!! I won't be purchasing any express finish polishes in the future.

Tutorial: How I fill in my Eyebrows using MAC Espresso Eyeshadow.

In this tutorial, I'll be showing you how I fill in my brows using an eyeshadow. My favorite eyeshadows to use are matte eyeshadows from MAC. My every-day medium brown shade is MAC Espresso, when my hair is a bit lighter, I use MAC Cork and when my hair is deep-dark, I use MAC Brun.

Products used in this tutorial:

• Spoolie Brush (or clean mascara wand)
• Scissors
• Tweezers (Tweezerman or Revlon are my favorite)
• MAC Espresso Eyeshadow
• Clear Brow Gel
• Concealer
• Highlight Eyeshadow

**The little white circles in the photos are shown as guides.

STEP 1:

This may not be a necessary step for those with sparse or fine brows, but very necessary for those with coarse and/or unruly, bushy brows. Use your spoolie and brush your eyebrows upward.

STEP 2:

Now take your scissors, and line them across the topmost, thickest part of the brow. Trim any hairs that are too long.


Already looking better!

STEP 3:

Using your tweezers, pluck any re-growth.

STEP 4:

I always like starting on the underside of my brow and working up. Starting at the beginning of the under-side of the brow, follow your natural brow shape all the way across. The underside can be the harshest line, because it's usually the cleanest/most precise part of your brows if you got them waxed, threaded, etc. The top of the brow is usually more natural. *Make sure to apply light pressure, and don't apply too much product towards the ending (tail) of the brow.

STEP 5:

If your brows are sparse (mine aren't sparse, but I colored them in for the sake of the tutorial) and need to be darkened overall, lightly fill the inside (think of the top and bottom of your brows as borders, and you need to color in between the lines) of your brow with whatever residue is on your brush from Step 4. Again, don't apply too much pressure. Small, light brush strokes work the best. Additional product shouldn't be necessary as you don't want your brows to look harsh or "painted" on.

STEP 6:

Lastly, trace the uppermost part of your brow making sure not to apply too much product towards the beginning or end. To avoid looking unnatural, you can start towards the middle or arch of your brow.

STEP 7:

Comb your lashes with a spoolie to soften any harshness and blend the shadow in better with your brows.

Did you make your brows appear thicker than you wanted to?
Simply take your concealer and a small concealer brush (a Q-tip or clean sponge eyeshadow applicator would work if you don't own proper brushes) and trace the borders of your brow. The concealer acts as an eraser, and will thin out the shape of your brows if you made them too large.

Add a highlight to your brow bone
Adding a shimmery highlight to your brow bone will emphasis the arch in your brow, making your brows appear clean, well-groomed and making your eyes look fresh and more awake. *Adding a bit near your tear ducts wouldn't hurt either!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful!

In addition, here are some swatches of some brow products I own. I couldn't for the life of me find my MAC Brow Crayon in the shade Spiked.


The only pencil I really don't like out of the bunch swatched is the NYC pencil. It is very creamy and goes on clumpy. I prefer a drier textured pencil for my brows. All of the others I like and use depending on the shade of my hair. My favorites remain MAC Espresso & Cork, Maybelline Define a Brow & MAC Eyebrow Crayon.

FOTD: Smokey Brown (something quick & easy)

Hey Guys!

I thought I'd post a quick FOTD. I was watching one of pixiwoo's recent videos and I liked the way Sam had her eye makeup.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovYfow38UUs

It looked like she may of only used a couple shades of brown with a little bit of a messy application. So, when I was doing my makeup on my way out the door last night, I grabbed a couple of my brown eye shadows and a fluffy smudge brush and tried it myself. I really liked the outcome. I couldn't get any good pictures because I was having lighting issues.. it looked a lot better in person. :( I thought I'd share anyway..







Face:
Palladio Stick Concealer in the shade #Yellow
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse in the shade #Dark 2 to contour my cheekbones
Make Up Forever HD #127 Foundation mixed with a dab of Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in #Stromboli
Rimmel Lasting Finish Transparent Powder to set my foundation and under eyes
MAC Improvise Mineralized Blush

Eyes:
NARS Galapagos eyeshadow smudged all over my lid and under my bottom lash line
MAC Cork Eyeshadow smudged over the previous application of eye shadow
Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara
Cargo Reverse Lip Liner in the shade #Medium on my waterline to brighten it up

Lips:
Wet n Wild Lipstick in shade #901B Think Pink
MAC 2N Lipglass

Review: Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer!

Product Description:

• Air-whipped mousse texture feels lightweight on skin and builds opacity for settle-free coverage
• Completely covers dark circles, imperfections and redness
• Blends and smoothes away imperfections instantly
• Oil-Free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested, safe for sensitive skin.

 My Review:  This is the first "mousse" product I've ever tried and didn't really know what to expect. The consistency is very light and airy and has a silicone-like feel to it. It's super soft and blends with no effort needed. I've tried applying this with my fingers or with a concealer brush and I didn't like either application method. The only way I like applying this is with my Sigma 224 or MAC 224 brush. I just dab the brush in and swirl it around my under eyes and build it to the desired coverage. This has a light - buildable to medium coverage. It's definitely not full - or full enough for what I prefer. I like using this on blemishes.. it covers them pretty well. I like to use my fingers for that and pat some product on it. Definitely can build it to a pretty heavy medium coverage on blemishes and it covers redness very good. The only thing I don't really like about this is the matte finish it gives. I've never used a matte concealer.. and this just makes my under eyes look dull. I don't think this is something I would repurchase once I run out.

Nars Sheer Glow update! (My winter shade)

I had a gift card to Sephora so I decided to pick up my favorite foundation. I haven't had a bottle in months because $42 for me is a lot to shovel out for a daily use foundation. Now that I'm not using as much self tanner as I was, I've been using a lot of foundations that are in the NC30-NC35 range rather than NC40. Previously I was using the shade Barcelona in Sheer Glow.. which was the absolute perfect NC40 match. It matched my skintone even better than MAC NC40 did. But this time, I picked one shade lighter.. and that is Stromboli. This shade is the dead on perfect match for me right now. I can't believe how perfect the color match NARS Sheer Glow offers for my skin tone.

I did a few comparisons for you guys.. Since I'm on vacation, I didn't have all of my foundations with me. Just MAC Studio Fix Fluid and Make Up Forever HD. I'm sure Estee Lauder Double Wear in the shade Tawny may come close to these as well.

MAC and MUFE look almost exactly the same. Nars is the slightest more yellow.. and looks the best on me of the three. (I actually think I did a typo.. it may be mufe #125.. the label has rubbed off!)

This picture is taken indoors with flash.

I took a picture yesterday morning after I applied my Nars.. matches my neck perfectly. :)

Cheryl just reviewed Sheer Glow in this shade.. check out her review here!

FOTD: Natural w/ Black Winged Liner + a Couple Vacation Pics!

Hey Everyone!

I didn't really explain that I'm on vacation, but if you've been seeing my twitter updates.. you may of caught on. I'm on vacation in Minnesota visiting one of my really close aunts. She has always been like my second mom and she means the world to me. She has always visited Chicago for every birthday or any occasion that is special to me or my family. She has always been there and I'm so graceful for that. It's really nice to be here spending quality time together.. I haven't seen her in over a year.

Having a picnic in the park..

We went to the casino as soon as I arrived... I looked terrible. lol wasn't really expecting to go anywhere after a 7 hour drive..

Warming myself up by her awesome fire place. lol my aunt loves taking pictures. I blame her for any type of photogenic-ness I have today and for my love for photography. Shes always behind the camera.

Having lunch by the lake

lol, my aunt made me take a picture by this..


I got a free sundae ;)

Wouldn't be Minnesota without some cows!! haha

I'll be sad to leave.. but hopefully I'll be able to visit more often. :)

Here's my face of the day..

I never usually apply my liner like this.. I usually only apply if halfway on my top and bottom lash line.. but I noticed in photos my eyes looked very small. So I decided to apply my liner across my whole top lashline a little thicker than what I'm used to.. to make my eyes look larger and more round. And, apply no liner on my lower lash line to make my eyes look more open. I really liked how it looked and I'm sure I'll be wearing my liner like this more often.

Face:
Prepped my skin with Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (first time using this)
Applied MAC Select Cover Up Concealer in the shade NW25 to my under eyes using my MAC 190 Brush.
Applied NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the shade Stromboli to my face using my fingers and blended lightly. Then, I buffed it in using my MAC 131 Brush to better blend it.
Applied MAC So Ceylon Mineralized Skinfinish to my cheeks using a powder brush.
Set my under eyes with Rimmel Lasting Finish Translucent Powder (love this!)

Brows:
Maybelline Define-a-Brow Pencil in the shade medium brown

Eyes:
Shiseido Mascara Base
Covergirl Volume Exact Mascara
Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler ;)
Ardell Accents Lashes (I believe #305? They are the halves)
Mary Kay Black Liquid Liner
A very, very light sweep of Urban Decay Last Call eyeshadow on my lower lash line (a plum color)

Lips:
MAC Shygirl Lipstick

NOTD: Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Posh Pink!

I had a little extra time this morning, so I thought I'd re-paint my nails. I did my nails on the way out the door yesterday and smudged every single one. It was a pretty deep red.. perfect for the fall. But I couldn't resist using this pretty pink bottle that was sitting on my aunt's bathroom counter. Maybe this will be my last pink polish before I start wearing all of the pretty fall shades. This color is actually strikingly similar to my last Sally Hansen NOTD a few posts below.

This is two coats with a clear Sally Hansen Double Duty top coat.

I'll let you know how this polish wears throughout the week. So far, I really like the consistency, opaqueness and finish. Also, the brush is thick and flatter than the traditional nail polish brush.. which covers more of your nail in once swipe. I kinda like that.





Look who was sneaking up on me...


He wasn't too interested.. LOL



*UPDATE: This nail polish lasted 2 WEEKS! Yes. TWO weeks. I will definitely be repurchasing.

FOTD from September.. & bouncy waves!

Since I have a little time right now I'm going to do a small post. :) I took some pictures the first week of September (wow, how fast did September go!??) and was planning on doing a FOTD post and didn't get around to it.

(Indoors with flash)

PRODUCTS USED:

Face: I prepped my face with a moisturizer. I used Estee Lauder Time Zone Line & Wrinkle Reducing Cream. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth and refreshed and not too greasy. I then dabbed Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer to areas of my face where I have visible pores (Cheeks, chin & nose). This blurs out the appearance of my pores and makes the area look more matte. I then apply with my fingertips MAC Studio Finish Concealer in the shade NW25 to my under eye area. I then apply Make Up Forever HD Foundation in the shade #127 with my MAC #131 Brush. Then, with a fluffy powder brush I apply a cream bronzer to my cheekbones and buff it into my hairline. I used Chanel Bronze Universel. I then apply MAC Improvise Mineralized Blush to my cheeks with a blush brush. I finish off my face with a setting powder. I apply Make Up Forever HD Powder all over my face with a large powder brush and I apply Ben Nye Banana Visage Powder mixed with Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder to set my under eye makeup.

Eyes: With a smudge brush, I smudge MAC Typographic eyeshadow on my top and bottom lash line. Then, I smudge MAC Cork eyeshadow into Typographic to soften the color. With my MAC #266 Brush I apply Bobbi Brown Black Long Wear Eye Liner to my top lid and in the corners on my bottom lash line to accentuate my eye shape. Then, apply Revlon Colorstay Black Eye Liner to my waterline. I apply Covergirl Volume Exact Black Mascara (which happens to be my new favorite mascara next to Lash Blast) to my top and bottom lashes. I finish off with a pair of Walmart False Eye Lashes. I apply another coat of mascara.

Lips: I outline my lips with MAC Stripdown Lip Liner and apply MAC Shygirl Lipstick. Then, apply a coat of LA Splash Sparkling Coral Lip Gloss.

♥

HAIR

My hair is very simple to do. I do this just about every day to my hair. I let my hair air dry when I get out of the shower and apply a little thermal protector to the ends of my hair. I then use my Remington Sleek and Curl Tourmaline Ceramic Straightener to flat iron my roots to about halfway down my hair. At about halfway down a strand of hair (about a 1 1/2 inch strand) I firmly start turning the iron under in a twisting motion until I reach the end of the strand. Just as I would with a curling iron.. just with a little more pressure. I do this to all of my hair and finish my hair off with BedHead After Party and then I flip my hair upside down and spray my hair with Beyond the Zone Flipped Out Hairspray and use my fingers to work it in my roots for lift.

Would I recommend this flat iron? Yes. I do recommend it for a cheaper alternative to a more expensive iron. This iron does a great job at creating waves and curls. I mainly recommend it for that. It's not the greatest at straightening my hair because my hair is thick and long.. and I need a larger iron for that.. or different shaped plates. I like that it is very lightweight and has a swivel cord. It also heats up fairly quick. the one thing I don't like about it is, a strand will get caught in between the plates and get pulled out here and there. But, not bad for $35. I purchased it at Target.

Upcoming post requests? Questions?

Hey Everyone!
I haven't been blogging lately.. due to some personal things in my life right now. Being "too busy" is definitely not the case. I always try to find time to blog.. but it's been a little difficult. Since my last post has been over a month ago.. I've gotten some questions that I haven't gotten a chance to answer. So, anything you would like to know.. get advice on or request, just comment! I'll try as best as I can to find extra time to get on the computer and post. It gets difficult sometimes because I don't own my own computer. So anyway, ask me anything and I'll be periodically check back to answer any questions! If you have questions you don't feel comfortable posting, you can send me an e-mail at nattyblogspot@ymail.com.

:)
Natty

Pic from today..

Spent some quality time with my BFF today! We always have the greatest time together even when we're doing nothing..

Every time we go out together, we get numerous questions if we're sisters. Do you think we look anything alike?

♥