Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation Review!

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation ($58) is a luminous, extreme-wear foundation with SPF 25 that is water resistant, non-transferable and long lasting.

"Guerlain Parure Extreme Luminous Extreme Wear Foundation leaves the complexion glowing with a naturally matte finish. This Tibetan Rhodiola plant formulation helps cells withstand temperature variations, intense heat, and stress—making this product last for at least eight hours."

Guerlain Parure Extreme is available in nine (9) shades: 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 13, 23, 24 and 25.

I debated whether to purchase #3 or #4, and I ended up purchasing #4 Beige Moyen. It turns out that the shade is a bit dark and pink for me, but if I mixed it with a lighter, golden foundation it works fine - or if applied very sparingly. I did end up purchasing shade #3 and it works much better. *Guerlain numbers their foundations with the even numbered shades being pink toned, and the odd numbered shades are yellow-toned. 

It's pretty unfortunate there are only nine shades, so there's only a limited range of skin tones that can wear this foundation.

The consistency of this foundation is very light and creamy. It's not heavy at all - in fact, it's somewhat runny. If you apply a pump on the back of your hand, it will start to run, but it's not thin/watery.

You must give this foundation a good shake before applying it for the best results. My favorite way of applying this foundation is actually with my fingers. I start off by moisturizing my face, and dot the foundation on each area of my face and blend together with my finger tips in circular motions (as if I was applying a moisturizer). After it's all blended, I like going over my face with a flat-top foundation brush to further buff it it in. Less is more. I have found that when I've applied too much, I look very unnatural - it seems to oxidize slightly, and when I apply too much, it looks like I'm wearing a mask. Start out with 1/2 a pump, and when you're done blending it in, add more if necessary. The result is completely flawless. It dries to a satin-matte finish. For my balanced skin, a powder isn't necessary, and I prefer not wearing a powder because the finish is beautiful.

NOTD: Revlon Gold Coin Nail Polish!

I picked up this polish the other day on my trip to ULTA.. It's "Revlon's Gold Coin" Nail Enamel from the Heavenly Metal Collection. The collection had three shades in total.. a golden shade, silver and copper shade. Since I've been on the lookout for a pretty gold, I decided to give it a try.

I applied (2) coats and (1) top coat (Sally Hansen Insta Dry). The formula is opaque, not too thick - and not watery at all. The color is a a metallic silvery gold. In the light, it appears more silver. I love the color and how well it stands out. Metallics tend to apply streaky, but I didn't have any streaks. Only on a couple of my nails my ridges are slightly highlighted. Also, when I usually apply my top coat.. my nails look very lustrous and have that clear shiny top coat look to them.. for some reason it doesn't even look like I'm wearing a top coat. I may try applying another.

Pros: Great formula, Pretty shade - very bright & lustrous, Wears well (no chips or dents yet), Affordable ($3-4)

Cons: Doesn't dry as fast as I'd like (it's definitely no OPI), Is not very forgiving if you smudge your nail and paint over it, Isn't very shiny with the top coat.

Overall, I like this polish a lot and I'll update this post to let you know how long it lasts before it chips. :)

I took a picture of my ring too.. lol I got it a few days ago from New York & Co. and I've been wearing it every day. So pretty!

Whats on your nails this holiday season??

Some Updates & My New Puppy w/ Pics!!! Help me name him??

Hey everyone.. Hope you're all having an awesome week.. It's finally the weekend - yay!! (Well, almost) I just thought I'd post a couple of updates.

If you follow me on twitter, you might know that George surprised me with a puppy two days ago. He is 6 weeks old and is a Maltese & Yorkshire Terrior mix. Everyone is asking me what I named him and whatever I choose, George doesn't like and whatever he chooses I don't like! *Sigh* Does anyone have any suggestions for cute boy names for a little dog? I thought of Teddy, Rocket, Tiger (he bites on everything), Brownie, Benji, Comet, Meeko (he reminds me of a little raccoon).. I can name 100 that I thought of.. George likes the names Snickers & Rocky. But I think it sounds goofy yelling out Snickers and I don't think he really looks like a Rocky? Any ideas? :) I've been so busy with him.. he is such a handful! I barely have been able to get on the computer because he starts going underneath the desk and tries to nibble on all of the wires as soon as I sit down in the chair.

In other news, lol
I received my Sephora order in the mail yesterday. I only ordered one thing.. Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation. I put it on my face last night to run to the store to buy the new pup some sweaters.. and I couldn't really tell since it was night time, but it seemed very nice (and I love the smell of it).. I should be posting a full review with a swatch of the color and a FOTD along with it within a few days.

Also, a few days ago I started on a contouring with a light and dark foundation tutorial.. and It took me SO long. I happened to take the photos during sunset.. and with every next step, the lighting became darker and darker and by the time I reached the final step, the sun was down and it was completely dark. So, for the last step and final result I couldn't get a good natural lighting photo. I'm not sure yet.. but I may have to re-do the tutorial. This post should be up within a few days as well.

I've also been testing out the ELF Complexion Perfection powder and the ELF Translucent Mattifying Powder from the Studio line and I should be reviewing these soon too!

Talk to you soon!!
xoxox

The Brush Guard Review!

You can purchase these in different variety packs for $5.50 (tax & shipping included) from http://www.thebrushguard.com/. I purchased mine from Coastal Scents for $4.95 (+ shipping).

View the reviews for the brush guard on makeupalley here.

Review: The basic concept of this product is to keep the bristles of the brush together while drying.. and to dry the brushes upside down so excess water won't seep into the wooden handle and cause the handle to separate from the brush in the future. I didn't really buy into the whole idea of the brush guard (considering these have been around for a while).. Although it's a good concept and it makes a lot of sense, I never really found the urge to purchase them. But while I was making a purchase on Coastal Scents, before checkout I was tossing in some last minute things and I figured I'd give them a try. I couldn't think of any other method or tool to use to dry my brushes facing down. When I clean my brushes, I usually lay them flat to dry and by the following morning, they are usually dry and fluffy. No problems. No serious issues with my brush bristles fraying or straying away.. and haven't had any brushes separate from the handle (well, high end at least). When I used the brush guards, it dried my brushes just as good & it kept all of the bristles together. I find the drying time to be very long (for this post, I had them drying for 10 hours and they were still damp. I had no choice but to use them by that point, so I couldn't take a picture of them dry). You really need 24 hours for them to dry completely. I find that my goat hair/natural bristle brushes dried in a much shorter time (it's always the case anyway) than the synthetic brushes. I do think this will help maintain my brushes well and that it will give my brushes a longer life span. Overall, I think it's a good product. Nothing I'd continuously rave about.. but, worth the $5.

Do you own these or anything similar? What are your thoughts?