Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo Review, Photos and Swatches!

Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo

Nars Isolde Eyeshadow Duo ($34) is the only Nars Duo I own, and it consists of a golden copper and a burnt copper shade. Both colors are intensely pigmented, and buttery soft. They also translate exactly the same on the lids. 

I would consider Nars a luxury brand (despite the less than luxurious packaging), so I only purchase a Nars product once in a while, as a "treat" to myself. 

I have to admit, there aren't too many duos that really grab my attention in the whole range, but as a lover of warm golden shades, Isolde is a great pick.

Knowing Nars eyeshadows, they are pigmented for the most part, but sometimes there's a "miss" in the bunch. They also differ in texture - some are super soft, while others are just average. Both shades in the Isolde Duo are actually the softest eyeshadows I've used from Nars.

Tutorial: Create Natural, Defined Brows with a Creme Product! (I'm using MUFE Brow Corrector)

Today I will be showing you how I use the Make Up Forever Brow Corrector. I know many people are interested in trying the product but don't know how to use it. You can obviously improvise if you don't have the MUFE Brow Corrector and use any brow pencil or creme liner. I have read that some people use MAC Dipdown Fluidline or MAC Quite Natural Paint Pot as a brow filler. It may seem odd to you that creme liners can be used for your brows, but applied sparingly with a light hand you can end up with beautiful brows that are natural looking and won't budge all day. Pencils that work well are ones that you can sharpen to a good point that aren't too soft or retractable "crayon" liners such as MAC Brows or Maybelline's Define-a-Brow. These brow pencils work very well because they don't smudge as easily as pencils, the formula is pigmented (but not overpowering) and the consistency is dryer than regular eye pencils, which is essential for creating natural looking brows.

Products used in this tutorial:

Coastal Scents Precision Angled Liner Brush
E.L.F Studio Eyebrow Treat & Tame
MAKE UP FOREVER Brow Corrector #3

I am using a small eyeliner brush that is bent so you it's easier to apply liner and make precise lines. I prefer this particular brush for the brows because the tip is short, dense and comes to a point. I can make very precise lines with it. If you don't have a specific liner brush, an angled brow brush can work too. The thinner the tip is, the better. I am using the ELF Treat & Tame to set my brows. It is a tinted brow gel that adds a tiny bit of color to your brows so your natural brows will blend in with the parts you filled in. It also will keep your brows in place so the hairs are all going in the same direction. MAC has a similar product called Brow Set, which is a product I love as well.

• If necessary, tweeze & trim your brows and/or stray hairs as you normally would. 
  

• It's your preference if you like to apply foundation before or after your brows, but I usually do my brows last. It's much easier in my opinion. If you have oily skin or tend to get an oily t-zone. Set the area with powder so your brows won't get shiny or smear throughout the day. 

Step 1: (If you are using MUFE Brow Corrector) Dab a tiny bit of product onto a clean surface. If you are using a potted creme liner, you can dip your brush directly into the product. Make sure to dab it off on a clean surface or the inside of the lid so you don't apply too much product in an area at once.

Step 2: Line the underside of your brow. Follow the shape of your brow. This area should be the most precise as it is where your brows would normally be waxed, tweezed or threaded. The top of your brow is where it's supposed to look the most natural.

Step 3: Dip your brush in the product again. Wipe off any excess. You don't want your brush to be very coated in product. Look at your brows in the mirror and decide where you would like to begin. I typically fill my brows in starting at the beginning. With the tip of the brush, you want to create small, thin lines to give the illusion of brow hair. Whatever spots you wish you had more hair in, draw small lines in the same direction as your hair. Don't use very much pressure - you want the tip just touching/grazing your skin. You want thin lines that aren't too dark. You want it to blend in well with your actual brow hairs. You can practice on your hand first.

Step 4: After you've followed the top line of your natural brow, you want to accentuate your arch. Draw a small line above your natural arch in the direction of your hair growth, and connect your brows (still using the same technique) from where you left off in Step 3 to the highest point of your arch. It should look very natural.

Step 5: With any excess brown pigment from the product left over on your brush, go over your brows to darken any areas that need it. The end of your brow should be the lightest as you have the least hairs there. If it needs to be extended, do this with the residue on your brush.

Step 6: Comb your brows in place with a spoolie, clear mascara or tinted brow mascara to set your brows.

My brow looks very arched in this photo because of the angle I took the picture. Don't worry they aren't that triangular.. LOL

• If necessary, take a small concealer brush with your favorite concealer and outline your brow and then blend it into your skin to cover up any mistakes, or if you made your brows too thick.

• Add a shimmery highlight under your arch to make your brows look even more polished!

I hope your found this post helpful, and if you have any questions.. make sure to post them below!

The Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the brand.. Sonia Kashuk is a line of beauty products (created by Makeup Artist & Entrepreneur Sonia Kashuk) that are sold exclusively at Target stores. Sonia Kashuk products are supposedly of high end quality for an affordable price. One thing Sonia Kashuk is really known for is their wonderful brushes. Often times Sonia Kashuk comes out with limited edition brush sets for the whole face that range from $10-$20.. often times you can snag a great set for a great price since they go Clearance when the next new items come out. If you have, Kudos to you! I unfortunately don't have a very large selection of brushes and don't happen to own any myself.

It wasn't until lately that I was feeling a little dissatisfied with my selection of foundation brushes (I lost my MAC 131 somehow.. I gave my full size MAC 187 to my Mom and my MAC 187SE got ruined when my eyelash glue leaked into all of the bristles). Currently, I only have my ELF Studio Stipple brush.. which works wonderfully and a few basic foundation brushes (MAC 109, Ecotools Foundation Brush, ELF Studio Angled Foundation Brush) which I don't find practical for every foundation I own. I've been really wanting to try the Sigma Synthetic Face Kit, but as of the moment I can't dish out $50 on brushes. So, I finally decided to purchase the Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush that I've see every time I'm at Target and have read raves for among Beauty Blogs.

The Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush is a synthetic fiber brush with relatively short bristles (maybe a little under an inch long?) and is very silky soft to the touch. It is very dense and sturdy, and because of the small size - it is ideal for applying foundation and working it into small areas as well as creme and powder blush. The brush retails for $14.99.

I compared it to my other flat top brushes...

From Left to Right: Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush, ELF Studio Powder Brush & Gotta B' Urban Finishing Brush. 

The Sonia Kashuk brush is the smallest of the three and it is the most dense. My ELF Studio Powder Brush is almost just as dense and a little bit larger. The ELF brush works well for foundation.. but I found it very difficult to clean when I used liquid foundation, so I just stick with using powder products with it. The Gotta B' Urban brush (purchased at Marshall's) is the least dense, as the fibers are very long and is ideal for setting powder.

The first time using the brush was today and I really liked the result. It smoothed on my foundation so quick and easy. I didn't have to spend extra time buffing it in like I usually do. 

Overall, I think it's a very good brush. The price seems a lot for a brush that isn't high end, but it works extremely well and is comparable to a brush you'd buy from MAC or Sephora. 

I'll keep you updated to let you know how I like this brush as I use it more and more.

Do you own this brush? How do you like it?

NOTD: OPI Miami Beet!

 I had planned to do my nails today with Wet n Wild's "Grey Anatomy" Nail Polish that I purchased last month, but I couldn't find the bottle for the life of me. So, I just grabbed any polish from my drawer and quickly polished my nails before leaving out with my mom for the day!

Miami Beet is a cream formula polish that is a deep red purple, the true color of ripened beets. In artificial lighting (indoors) it appears to be a deep red, but in the sunlight or florescent lighting it's a deep fuchsia. Miami Beet is an older polish from OPI's South Beach Collection from the Spring/Summer of 2009.. I got a hold of this polish last summer in a swap, and this is probably only my second time wearing it. 

Two (2) coats of OPI Miami Beet & One (1) coat of Rimmel Lasting Finish Top Coat.

Lighting: Sunlight; in the shade. No flash. (The red tone is very visible)

Lighting: In Bright Sunlight. No flash. (You can see the purple tone well here)

Whats on your nails?