Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder (Face & Body)

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is a new iridescent gold copper shade for 2010 and gives subtle reflections on the skin. 

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is silky and ultra-light in texture. Or Imperial is a sparkling powder that subtly illuminates shoulders, arms, back, decollete and hair with a soft violet fragrance.

Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Face & Body Powder is housed in an exclusive reinterpreatation of the mythical 'Eau de Cologne Imperiale' (Bee Bottle) with a spray pump dispenser. The bottle is beautiful and elegant, and an overall pretty piece to keep on my vanity.



Like mentioned, the powder is incredibly fine and silky smooth. From the way it moves around in the bottle, it looks like a silica powder.

It applies incredibly sheer, so there's no fear of looking like you just sprayed glitter all over your self. It's so subtle, that it can be worn every day on the decollete without looking over-the-top. So it doesn't fall off your skin, I'd recommend moisturizing your skin with a fragrant lotion/cream and spraying this directly over it.

If you love Guerlain's signature violet scent, you'll love this. You can't smell it much on the skin, but I love picking up the bottle to smell it.

(Guerlain Or Imperial Sublime Radiant Powder applied lightly on my hand)

If you're looking for something very shimmery, this definitely isn't it. I'm happy with the subtleness of it because in my opinion, subtle shimmer is much harder to come across.

Very expensive, but I'm very happy to own it!

A few pics from over the weekend with me & my best friend..

I got to see my best friend for many years a couple of times this week.. which was awesome because she lives like an hour away.. and we sometimes have conflicting schedules that can make it difficult to see each other at times. She is the one person that can change my mood instantly when I'm feeling down and she knows me better than anyone else. I started to think last week how different life would be if I didn't have her as my best friend.. I do believe in soul mates and I don't believe it has to restricted to your significant other. I believe a soul mate is someone that was written in the book of your life before you were born that you were meant to meet so that you will have someone that will always understand you, stand by you through everything and will feel your pain just as you do. Someone that you have a bond with deeper than the heart, because the heart is often unsure of it's feelings.. but a bond of the soul. I have no doubt in my mind that she is a soul mate of mine.

These pictures make me laugh :)

Review: Coastal Scents Camo Quad - Medium + Before/After Photos & Swatches!

Coastal Scents Camo Quad in Medium

Hey Guys! I have another Coastal Scents review for you guys. It's for their Camo Quad Concealer in the shade Medium. They have four different Camo Quads in the shades Light, Medium, Dark and Color Corrector. You can view all shades here.

Before ordering this quad, I made sure to look up swatches and read some reviews. I also watched a review video by one of my favorite youtubers, Lisaz09. You can click her username and it will take you directly to her review video. Anyway, the majority of the reviews seemed very positive so I thought I would give it a try.

The shade Medium contains four (4) shades. They don't have specific shade names or numbers. There is a White, Light Peach, Med. Beige and a Dark Pink Beige. Prior to receiving this quad in the mail I thought these colors were going to be more yellow toned because of all of the swatches I have seen. I would say they kind of look more like NW shades than NC shades. The Med. Beige shade looks a little bit like my NW25 concealer.. but less orangy. Which is absolutely fine because peachy & pinky shades seem to camouflage dark circles very well. Then, once my yellow toned foundation is applied over.. they should be completely covered. 

I would say that my camera captured the color very accurately in both the quad by itself and the swatches (it may depend on your computer, because not every computer will obviously capture color the same way).


Coastal Scents Camo Quad in Medium

Coastal Scents Camo Quad in Medium


READ MORE!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Review: Coastal Scents Undercover Liquid Color Corrector - Yellow + Photos & Swatches!

Coastal Scents Undercover Liquid Color Corrector
(in the shade yellow)

Product Description: "
These are used when making custom color changes to foundation, concealer and blush are needed. Pro Color Correctors mix easily together and with liquid cosmetic products. You can also create custom color correctors such as peach, salmon, lavender and pastel green.  The use of color correctors will assist you in hiding a persons flaws and highlighting their facial strengths.

There are six velvety correctors, used in cosmetic products to lighten, darken, contour, add new tint and tone to products, and cover hyper pigmentation. If a custom fit is what you need when applying your makeup in business or at home, this set is indispensable. The viscosity is thick, highly pigmented, has good coverage and is easy to control when dispensing. " - http://www.coastalscents.com/



Why I found this product necessary to purchase - If you have been a follower of my blog and you keep up with my posts, you probably already know what skin tone I have and how often I stress about finding foundations that have enough yellow in them. Although this isn't always an issue as I have found good color matches in all of my favorite foundations, there are some foundations that fall short of my exact color match. I do own some foundations that I don't wear as often as others because of the sole reason, my face will not match my neck. Yes.. darkness or lightness wise, but the undertone will not match. Foundations that are too beige/neutral will leave me gray, cool foundations will leave me pink, too olive of foundations will leave me green and sometimes warm foundations can have too much red in the and leave me looking sunburned. I mostly run into the problem of some foundations being too neutral and they will give me a gray cast. Seeing this product on Coastal Scents made me really think that this problem can possibly be eliminated for good and I can use this product on my foundations that are missing a little yellow.

 Red - used when needing to add more pink in foundation for caucasian skin or shade of red in some darker skin tones. (Do not add more than a tiny dot of this at a time to your product, it is very strong. )
Blue - Simply mix equal amounts of yellow, red and blue (primary colors) together to make brown, known as a neutral color. The amount of each primary color used will make a specific shade of brown: more yellow, less red, less blue and so on.
Green - Adds extra coverage and color correcting for skin with too much redness from inflammation, such as rosacea and broken capillaries.
Yellow - excellent for under eye circles; used to add yellow tones; Yellow also counteracts purple blemishes and bruising. 
Black - is not a color, it is actually absent of color, it is used in the art and cosmetic industry to darken colors-absorb the light in them. Use this to darken your foundation shade, a darker shade of foundation is also used to diminish flaws and highlight strengths.
White - This is not a color, it is a tint, tints are used to lighten all colors. When you are in between shades in your color range white can be used to lighten, black to darken. White can be used to create a foundation one or two shades lighter than your regular makeup and to be used for highlighting.

So, I put it to the test. I used a foundation that is a little too neutral for me. (Rimmel Lasting Finish #200 Soft Beige) fyi, it's one of the lighter foundations I own for when I'm not very tan.
This was just a test run. I ended up putting a little more corrector than needed.. but as you can see from the final result, the foundation matches my skin much better than the original foundation. 

Review: I tested it again yesterday when I went out. I used a foundation that was again, a little too neutral for me and I used just a drop of the corrector and mixed it in with the dab of foundation I poured onto a clean palette and the foundation had transformed into a shade more suitable for me. Applied to my face, it looked like a completely different foundation. Matching your undertone perfectly is really something that can make or break a foundation. The corrector has a thin consistency.. It is not watery, nor is is creamy. It's somewhere in between. It did not change the texture or finish of my foundations. Just purely, the undertone. I highly recommend this product if you struggle with the same issues as me with foundations. I'm very happy I purchased this, and I will be using it with all of my foundations that don't have enough yellow. What's best about it is, it's only $3.95. View all shades here.

Have you used this product or a product like this?

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Coastal Scents. I was not paid or compensated in any way for this review. I paid for this product myself and as always, my reviews are honest and are based on my personal experience in using the product.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!! Plus a recipe to share :)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving.. I just finished eating with my family and now I'm about to make the frosting for the red velvet cake I baked last night :) Then, in a little while I'll be having another meal at George's house & spending some time there. I'm so exhausted from yesterday. I baked for 12 hours straight! I made lots of traditional Swedish (or scandinavian) cookies, Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. My favorite were the Chocolate Chocolate Chip. If you're a lover of chocolate, you should definitely try baking them.. they are soo easy to make and they only take 8 minutes in the oven! Believe me, DELICIOUS. They taste like brownies in cookie form. I made half of the batch with only semi-sweet chocolate chips and the other half with chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. I got the recipe from here.
  • 1 1/4 cups butter or 1 1/4 cups margarine, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups peanut butter chips (12 oz. pkg.) or 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg.)
  1. Heat oven to 350°.
  2. In large mixer bowl; cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
  4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter or chocolate chips.
  5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.).
  6. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

E.L.F Studio Products are 50% OFF!!!! Today is the last day!

50% off all ELF Studio Items. (minimum $20 purchase) 
The sale lasts through today (11/24)
Code: HOLSTU

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with elf.

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation Review, Swatches & FOTD!

mac pro longwear foundation review

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation ($29.50) is one of MAC's newest foundations that is promised to provide up to 15 hours of wear in any environment and condition. It provides a lightweight, sheer to medium coverage and will keep the skin looking natural and flawless. *Contains SPF 10

I've only worn this foundation twice so far, but I couldn't wait to write my review!

*For reference, it's a couple dollars more expensive than Studio Fix Fluid, which retails for $26. I'm guessing because it includes a pump. (Satinfinish also has a pump and retails for $29.50.)

The texture is nice and creamy, but slightly lighter/thinner in comparison to MAC Studio Fix Fluid - yet it's not watery at all. 

The coverage is light to medium - one pump will give me sheer coverage, and an additional pump will give me light-medium coverage. It's buildable to a solid medium, but if you have any blemishes or hyperpigmentation, you may find that spot concealing is necessary. 

I will say this foundation is a bit difficult to work with. It's kind of hard to explain, because the foundation itself isn't thick at all, but once it hits the skin, it doesn't move around that easily - causing me to use excess foundation. I've found that using a primer beforehand really helps smooth the foundation all over my face without wasting product.

The finish is semi-matte, and it doesn't leave my face feeling moist, so I don't find it necessary for me to set the foundation with a powder. Just a little under my eyes to set my concealer.

(Wearing MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NC35)


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Review: Face Atelier Foundation + Swatches & FOTD!

Product Info: "The heart and soul of FACE atelier – an innovative approach to foundation that allows you to be in control.  Ultra Foundation is a silicone-based emulsion that floats on top of the skin, doesn’t crease or flake, and lasts all day long.  Hydrating yet oil-free, it obscures tiny lines and pores to ensure a smooth finish.  No primer needed!  It's built into Ultra Foundation, thanks to the super sophisticated, silicone-based formula.   Another bonus - it sets without powder, preserving the youthful, dewy finish.

TRADE SECRET!
The silicone molecule is bigger than the human pore, allowing Ultra Foundation to form a lightweight, breathable second skin that is both moisture and oil resistant.  It is truly non-comedogenic and is ideal for troubled or mature skin.

Ultra Foundation's top-secret formulation creates an optical blurring effect that diminishes fine lines and wrinkles and gives the illusion of a smoother, more uniform and naturally dewy finish.  No wonder it's the foundation of choice for stars like Fergie and Lady Gaga!

 Why no SPF?  It's no secret to pro makeup artists that products with SPF flash white.  Ultra Foundation is THE product of choice if you're anywhere near a camera.   More importantly, there's a long list of reasons why SPF doesn't work in cosmetics (see Trade Secrets).   We urge you to find a good sunscreen and use as directed." -faceatelier.com

Here is a swatch of the foundation next to MAC Studio Fix Fluid in the shade NC30 Unblended and blended into my skin (not fully, of course). As you can tell, it's a little too light for me. The undertone is correct though. It has a nice warm, peachy tone and it is described as a "light to mid yellow-based beige". One shade up and it should be fine.

If you are a true NC30, #4 Sand may work pretty well for you.. I am not a true NC30 right now.. I'm more of a NC35-NC40 at the moment (at the moment because of my self tanner). Since I have no use for foundations that are too dark, I thought ordering #4 would be a safe move. #3 Wheat is said to match NC30 as well (some reviews say its even darker than #4). #5 Sepia is said to match NC35-NC37. All shades are yellow based (yay for me). What is very interesting with Face Atelier, is that they have shades to alter your foundation if it doesn't match your skin perfectly. Zero Minus is a white foundation that will lighten your foundation, Zero Plus is a chocolate brown that will darken your foundation and Zero Plus Plus is a deep dark chocolate brown that will darken your foundation further. There is also Heat, which is a red foundation that will add warmth to your foundation. All you need apparently is a drop. I think its very nice that they have these shades especially if your skin shade alters throughout the year. But, considering their foundation is $45 for a 1 oz/30ml tube, I think paying another $45 for an altering shade is a lot of money to dish out. Considering you only need a drop, they should be in either smaller bottles or should cost less. That's just my opinion.

You can purchase a sample/s of the foundation from Face Atelier for $1 (approximately 3 applications), Whiterabbitbeauty for $1.85 (claims "several" applications) and Camerareadycosmetics for $3.99 (two applications). I purchased my sample from camerareadycosmetics. I received my order two-three days later. (Not affiliated with any of these companies). The unused sample is shown above in the first photo. It's not a very generous sample.. but it will last me a few more applications. Whats great about the foundation is you don't need a lot.

Face Atelier has scored a 4.4/5 with a 78% buy back rate on makeupalley.com (based on 37 reviews).

Now, onto my review...
Here I am this morning.. all I have on is MAC select cover up in the shade NW25 under my eyes and I have my brows filled. I don't have any major blemishes, except I have a few blemishes around my face that were pimples that have dried up. Major thing is, my skintone is uneven and I have a little redness on my cheeks & nose area.

Here is the foundation applied to my face with my ELF Studio Angled Foundation Brush. I didn't moisturize or prime my face prior to application. My face didn't seem dry.. so I didn't feel I needed to.
My Review: I was very surprised to see that the foundation covered all of my flaws. It completely evened out my skin. It even covered the couple little dried up pimples I had that were dark red.. which surprised me. A lot of foundations just make them look brown under my foundation. Though the foundation appears to be thin and liquidy, when applied to the face.. I feel like the consistency almost changes. You'd think it would be sheer to medium with a dewy finish. But, one it hit my skin it was noticeable medium+ coverage with a satin finish (not dewy & not completely matte). The finish is beautiful. It left my skin radiant and it didn't look heavy, cakey, greasy in any way. I didn't feel I needed to set it with a powder.. but after maybe an hour I noticed my skin did look a little shiny. I took my foundation brush (with no product) and buffed it over my face and all of the shine went away. It went back to the satin finish. Then I powdered my face and went out. By the end of the night, my makeup had stayed in place very nicely except the color of one of my blemishes had started to come through. I would say it has a good 8-10 hr wear. I love that the foundation looks so natural and the fact that you don't need a lot. I only used the residue from the cap for my whole face. This is such a beautiful foundation and when I have a little extra money, I would like to purchase the full size. In the mean time, I may order a couple more samples.

Face of the day.. 
Face:
MAC Select Cover Up #NW25
Face Atelier Foundation #4 Sand
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse #Caramel (used a little around my face to darken a little)
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer (Hollows of my cheeks & around my hair line)
MUFE HD Blush #10 (On my cheeks)

Brows:
Maybelline Define a Brow #Medium Brown

Eyes:
Sephora Sunbaked No 2 Trio (Brown shade in my crease, Bronze shade all over my lid and the gold shade as a highlight and blended over my crease & in the corners of my eyes by my tear ducts)
NYX Black Eyeshadow (Deepened the corner of my crease)
Covergirl Lash Blast Black Mascara
Ardell False Lashes #111

Lips:
Sephora Nano Lip Liner #2
OCC Cha Cha Lip Tar (very light coat)
LASplash Girl Crush Lip gloss (very tiny amount to add shine)

Follow up on the Sephora Trio: I really like the trio. The colors are very pigmented and the particular trio I have, the colors look soo pretty together. When I went out, I didn't look overdone or overly shimmery. I'll be keeping this in my cosmetic bag and wearing it very often. Recommended! :)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Beauty Blender Dupe for Under $2!

I always find really useful things at Forever 21. I went Saturday night and spotted some makeup sponges that look just like the very popular BeautyBlender. I never purchased the BeautyBlender, but I did purchase the Sonia Kashuk last year. I think the hype was way too big and it left me very disappointed in the end.. as people made it look like.. "Use this amazing sponge and your foundation will look completely airbrushed and blah, blah, blah." The sponge didn't change my life, but it is a good product for blending your foundation. For those of you that love these re-usable sponges.. I recommend checking out your nearest forever 21, as $1.80 is an awesome deal! There are two sizes. One comparable to others on the market.. and a smaller one for smaller areas of the face. Perfect for under your eyes..

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find these on the Forever 21 website. I'll check back in a few days to see if they have added them yet.
 

Make Up Forever #10 HD Creme Blush Review!

Make Up For Ever #10 HD Blush

Make Up For Ever #10 HD Blush

Make Up Forever HD Creme Blush ($25) is a lightweight, cream blush that is uniquely dispensed in a small, plastic pump tube.

Make Up For Ever HD Blush is available in (14) shades: #1 Innuendo, #2 Caught in the Act, #3 Truth or Dare, #4 Walk of Shame, #5 Nip Slip, #6 Quickie, #7 One too Many, #8 PDA, #9 In the Spotlight, #10 Skinny Dipping, #11 Mistaken Identity, #12 First Kiss, #13 Smooth Talker and #14 Star Struck.

#10 Skinny Dipping is described on the website as a light, orange brown. It also has a hint of rosy-red in there. I'd describe it as a warm, spicy terracotta. A very flattering color for medium/tan skin tones.

Make Up For Ever #10 HD Blush

Nails: Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Polish in Red Rock & Cherry Fashion

One coat, no top coat.
Red Rock is a deep, cherry red (perfect for fall) and Cherry Fashion is a true magenta.

The formula is creamy (not watery or thick) and because of the flat, thick brush... you paint more of your nail with one sweep. I really like the brush design. It may not be for everyone.. but it works wonderful for me and I can paint my nails a lot faster. If you're in a hurry, you can get away with one coat of this polish as it is pretty opaque. Use two coats for the best opacity. Three is not at all necessary. The finish is semi-shiny.

I've only used one other Rimmel Lasting Finish PRO nail polish and it lasted me for around two weeks with maybe one tiny chip. (View my review here) I don't think I ever owned a polish that lasted me two full weeks. That's one of the main reason I bought these polishes. I hope they live up to the longevity like the other one!

Have you used Rimmel Lasting Finish PRO Nail Polish? Did it live up to your expectations? What nail polish has lasted the longest for you?? I'd love to hear!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

LASplash Girl Crush Lip Gloss Review, Photos and Swatches!

While I was out last night, I stopped at ULTA to use up a coupon and pick up my favorite lip gloss; LASplash Sparkling Coral. To my horror, there was no Sparkling Coral!! No empty slot from running out, nothing. I quickly went to the Clearance rack to see if the color had been discontinued and got marked down. I found nothing. I started to panic a little bit and google LASplash Sparkling Coral with no results.. just my blog. LOL WOULD THEY DISCONTINUE SUCH AN AWESOME SHADE!??? First my Revlon's Life's a Peach and now this.

Anyway, I went back to LASplash to see if I can find another shade half as decent. So, I picked up "Girl Crush". It's a sheer coral/salmon lip gloss with golden pink glitter. I know you're probably thinking.. seriously Natty.. can't you think outside of the box? And the answer is.. No I can't!!! I love my peaches and corals :)



By glance, it reminded me a lot of MAC Smile Dazzleglass. Smile is also a bright with pink glitter. The consistency of the Dazzleglass is a lot thicker, so the color looks more opaque. The pink glitter is exactly the same.

Since the color is sheer, I like using a natural colored lip liner and I like to tone down the pigment in my lips a little bit so they won't look red. When doing my foundation, I run the foundation brush across my lips with whatever residue is left. Then, apply a thin coat of lip balm to prevent drying.


I used Sephora Nano Lip Liner Pencil in the shade #2. (Seen in my previous haul post)

 I really like LASplash's lip gloss. They aren't watery, gooey or sticky. Great consistency.. slightly gritty from the glitter.. but that's expected. And the length of wear is pretty average.

OPI Little Black Dress Up Set + Swatches!

The set contains 2 full size bottles of "Color So Hot it Berns" and "Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous" from the Fall/Winter Swiss Collection and a free mini clutch. I paid $9.95 for the set at ULTA & used a $3.50 off $10 coupon. So, two bottles for $6.50! You can print the coupon at http://www.ulta.com/ or use the code 49983 in checkout on the website. Offer is valid until 12/3. Or receive 20% off one item, offer code 46574 valid until 11/20 (today).



You can view all shades of the OPI Swiss Collection at http://www.opi.com/. At the top, click >Nail Color >Swiss. You can also try the shades on a computerized hand that you can personalize to your own skin tone and nail length to see if the nail color will fit you. Just click >Try it on, on the sidebar.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with ULTA or OPI.

Before I applied Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous, I thought it may be too similar to OPI My Private Jet or the new Forever 21 Charcoal polish I just purchased. I did a side by side comparison and they are all actually very different in tones. Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous is the lightest and looks more silver in comparison to the others.
Left to right: OPI My Private Jet, OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous, L &B Charcoal


Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Haul: Sephora (friends & family sale)

I received a coupon from Sephora in the mail a couple of days ago for 20% off everything in the store. The sale only went on for a few days.. so I made sure to rush over last night an hour before they closed to buy a few things. I wish I would of written down a list before I went.. I walked in having no idea what I was looking for.

Here is what I ended up getting -


Nars Madly Blush ($28) is described on the Nars website as a seashell pink. I would describe it as a warm, soft pinked mauve. I originally thought it was going to be too light and not show up on my skin tone.. but it actually really surprised me and warmed up very nicely to my skin tone. I think its such a flattering color and perfect for every day! I think it's my new favorite blush.


A Few Swatches of Forever 21's Love & Beauty Nail Polishes

I really like Forever 21's nail polishes. They may not be OPI, but they are pretty much average in comparison to other drugstore brand polishes. What I really like about them is the color selections they have. They are always coming out with the newest trendy colors, which makes me always purchase a couple of bottles when I shop. 

Here are a few I picked up. Light Orange is a dupe for China Glaze Peachy keen. 

I'm not sure which one to do my nails with first. What do you think?