MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder ($26, 0.35 oz) is a light, cotton-candy pink with a silvery pearl sheen. It's very light in color and would be a wonderful soft pink blush for lighter skintones. My coloring ranges from light to medium (since I use self tanner often) and when I'm applying the product as a blush, I prefer the way it looks on me when I'm not as tan, because when I'm darker and layer this powder on my cheeks, it can look slightly pastel/chalky. I like it better on me when I'm around the MAC NC15-25 range, as it gives my skin a doll-like glow. It also looks really pretty applied on top of another blush to add a pink, pearly sheen. For darker skintones, it's a great highlighter. It's also versatile enough that you can even use it as an all-over dusting powder to add luminosity to the skin.

As far as the product itself, the texture is really silky and the color is sheer, but it's easily buildable. It blends really well into the skin and even though it has a pearly (I wouldn't really call it frosty) sheen, it doesn't emphasize my pores.

I love the formula of MAC Beauty Powders and I find myself reaching for them often. I'm sure Pearl Blossom will be one of my go-to products!

MAC Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder swatched

MAC Angel Tinted Lipglass Review, Photos, Swatches!

MAC Angel Tinted Lipglass

MAC Angel Tinted Lipglass ($15, 0.17 oz) is a light/medium warm pink with silver micro-shimmer. It has a slightly frosty or pearl-like finish much like MAC Angel Lipstick. Although this gloss has a warm pink base, the pearly sheen neutralizes the warmness a bit, so it's a really wearable pink that a variety of skintones can wear. I find that it suits my warm, medium skin really well.

If you aren't familiar with MAC Lipglasses, the formula is pretty thick and sticky (not everyones cup of tea), but I don't entirely mind it. When you apply a good coat of lip balm first, the formula feels a bit better on the lips. All of the lipglass colors differ in pigmentation, but Angel has a nice opaque coverage. It looks nice on it's own, but I find that it sometimes has a tendency to settle in my lip lines (not horrible like some, but still notable). It also looks really nice applied over top similar colored pink lipsticks.

MAC Angel Lipglass (left) and MAC Eloquently Elegant Mineralize Lipglass (right)

MAC Angel Lipglass on my lips. 

A handful of products that I've been using lately...

I haven't purchased nearly as much makeup as I use to (as I haven't blogged in so long and haven't found the need to buy in excess), but I thought I'd share some of the products I've been using lately that I haven't talked about before!

Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation - I purchased this on a whim at Target when I completely ran out of foundation and needed a simple every-day foundation. I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up really liking it for daily wear. The coverage is light, but buildable to a light-medium. It conceals my skin imperfections pretty well and evens out my skintone. The finish is really natural and makes my skin look slightly glowy and fresh, and it lasts all day. I'd compare it to something like L'Oreal True Match Lumi, but with a creamier BB Cream-like texture. The only downside is that the tube only has 0.06 oz (what!?) and you can't unscrew the product to scoop out any last bits of product. With daily use, I finished the bottle in barely three weeks. I will repurchase though, because I do really like it. For reference I purchased the shade Vanilla, which is good for light, warm skintones tones (around MAC NC20 coloring). If I'm around NC30, I'd go for Buff. 

MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Balm - I have still yet to find my absolute favorite BB cream, but recently I've been using this one from MAC. The coverage isn't the best, but it's buildable. If you want a solid medium coverage, you'd have to apply a good amount, and by that point, it feels a little sticky on the skin until it's set with a powder. So instead, I like adding a pump of my regular medium coverage foundation with this and it provides me natural coverage for daily wear. I'll finish the tube, but I don't think I'd repurchase. I think there cheaper alternatives out there that work better. If you use this, I'd love to know what you think of it in the comments. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Shine Free Stick Foundation - As far as foundation goes, this product isn't very good, but I use it for the sole purpose of contouring/bronzing. I purchased this stick in the shade Cappuccino, which is a really nice caramel-brown. I like buffing the product through my cheeks and around the frame of my face to give me a natural, bronzed look. It can also work good as a base for powder bronzer if you have issues with your bronzer fading quickly throughout the day. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer - I've been wanting to try this concealer for years, and I finally bought a tube along with a fresh bottle of Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (I'll talk about that later - it was one of my top foundations until it was reformulated and with three days of use I had a face full of acne that took over a month to clear up). I guess I was a bit underwhelmed with the results, as I expected it to have full coverage, but it doesn't. It's thick, yet it's translucent, so I need an additional brightener under my eyes as the shadows under my eyes still peek through. Again, with this product I'll try finishing the tube, but I don't think I'll be repurchasing.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder - This has been my new favorite setting powder. It's really finely milled and doesn't add any color to the skin, it just softens the complexion and adds a soft glow. I use it every day with a stippling brush, and I even like using it with a beauty blender to set my under-eye concealer (you do have to be careful not to apply too much because It can stay in one spot and not move once you've blotted a load to an area). I have this powder in the shade diffused light, and it works perfectly for when I'm lighter or tan. 

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner - Love this stuff! If you like Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Liner, you'll like this one too. The shape and density of the felt tip is perfect for creating a wing, and the pigment is really dark. I still like Stila a little bit better, as it's waterproof, but this one is a for sure second. Plus, I was able to find a three-pack at TJ Maxx for under $10 - was I just lucky? 

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base - I've talked about this before on my blog, but in the past, I've only used samples from the BB counter. I finally purchased a full sized container, and I've really been enjoying using it daily under my makeup. It moisturizes my sensitive skin really well without irritating it or making it greasy, and it makes my skin look fresh and supple. It's a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way. If you feel uneasy about contaminating the product with your fingers, I'd recommend buying cosmetic spatulas from your local beauty supply store, or even eBay.

Unite Hair Products - I've been wanting to talk about this brand for months. This has been the main brand I've been using for haircare. I learned about it from the salon I go to occasionally, and Unite is the brand they use exclusively. Each time the products were used on my hair I loved the way my hair looked, smelled, and felt, so I would end up buying at least one product each time I'd get my hair done. What I love is that the shampoos are sulfate-free and the products are all free of parabens. My main favorite products are the 7 Seconds Condition Leave-in Spray, U Luxury Argan Oil and my newest favorite, the Lazer Straight Relaxing Fluid, which relaxes my hair really well prior to blowdrying. I've also used a few of their shampoos and conditioners - right now I'm using the Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner (I have very dry hair) which work really well, but it's so moisturizing that with repeated use, my hair gets a little weighed down, so I need to use a clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks. Highly recommend Unite - all of their products have great reviews on Amazon.

Easing back into blogging

Hello everyone!

It has been a very long time since I've last updated my blog, and I wanted to give you all a small update of what's been going on with me, and let you know why I've been on a major hiatus. 

I started my blog back in 2009, and for a few years, I pretty much dedicated most of my time to my blog. Writing was something that has always interested me, and of course, beauty is another thing that I have always loved. But I guess with any passion that one has, there are times where you can feel a lack of motivation, or inspiration, or even interest in something after it has become so routine in your life. So basically, for a while I lost interest in the beauty world and became a little more focused on other things in my life. And truthfully, I barely wear makeup anymore since I work from home. 

George and me bought a house a little over a year ago, and I dedicated a spare bedroom to be my office, but now that a year has flown by, I still haven't bought a desk for what was suppose to be my blogging sanctuary. With my personality, I'm very easily distracted, and I've been so focused on getting my home together, that it has been hard for me to focus on anything else. I'm a perfectionist by nature, and when something isn't finished, it will drive me nuts until whatever it is, is completed to my satisfaction. At the same time, there have been a lot of other things going on with family and friends (exciting things), so there are sometimes weeks that go by where I don't even get a chance to get on the computer.  

I guess now that so much time has passed, I don't feel as productive anymore, and I simply miss putting my camera to use and writing. And of course, I miss connecting with all of you!

 

I've received a bunch of messages from some of you that have been asking where I've been and if everything is okay, and I'd like to thank you so much for your messages! Everything is great, and I miss being connected to all of you. Hopefully some of you still stuck around, and I can't wait to start blogging again. I'm totally out of the loop right now, as I haven't kept up with the latest in beauty, but I'm getting back into it, and I'm really excited! I have loads of photos from months ago of products I was planning on reviewing, so I'll probably start off with those. If there are any new, amazing products out that I have to try, please share in the comments section! Also, if you have any ideas for posts, I'd love to hear them. 

I was thinking about incorporating lifestyle posts as well, such as home decorating, cooking, etc. What do you think? 

Talk to you soon!!

Natty