NOTD: Taupe + MAC 3D Glitter!

While browsing Makeupalley, I came across photos some really cool holographic polishes. One in particular, Catherine Arley Nail Polish in #669 really caught my interest. It's a beautiful pale gold/taupe holographic. Unfortunate for me, it's a polish that's incredibly difficult a hold of, so I attempted to create my own.

I first started with applying two coats of a light taupe nail polish (CHI Ceramic Nail Lacquer in the shade "Love That Milky Way") and then with a clear nail polish I dipped the brush in a small amount of MAC 3D Glitter and applied it to each nail. Then, I finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat. 

I don't think I've ever had this much glitter on my nails.. haha! It's extremely sparkly and looks really pretty under bright lighting. I think I'll be trying it out with some other colors as the base.. maybe a little less glitter. If you have MAC 3D Glitter Pigment, you should definitely do some experimenting with it! Since the glitter is very fine, it didn't leave my nails feeling bumpy or gritty. Fine glitter tends to work much better than chunky glitter - you can find many varieties at your local craft store (or MAC Pro). Then, all you do is mix the glitter with any clear based nail polish and you'll have your own custom glitter polish! (Click here for a ehow tutorial on how to make glitter nail polish)

Do you have any favorite holographic nail polishes? Share in the comments below!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light + Comparison to Medium!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in "Light"

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in "Light" (top) and "Medium" (bottom)

I reviewed Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer last month, and since then it has been my favorite concealer for full coverage. It gives the most coverage of any concealer I own and it doesn't budge or cake throughout the day. I was fortunate enough to get a hold of the last tube of the shade Medium on the rack last month at Wal-mart, and since then, I've visited other Wal-marts to purchase Light with no luck. Until my latest grocery trip, I was ecstatic to see there was one last tube of Light left on the rack. I picked that baby up, and I've been using it daily since. 

To see my original review for Hard Candy Glamoflauge, click here.

Hand swatch of "Light"

Light is a pale ivory with a pink undertone, whereas Medium has a yellow-olive undertone. Although Light is too light to be used on it's own for my skintone, I like to mix it with some of my other concealers to add additional coverage or to lighten any that are too dark.

When I mix Light and Medium, I get a color that's perfect for my skintone right now - a light/medium golden beige. Because the color choices for Glamoflauge are limited (Light, Meidum and Tan), some may find that light is too light, medium is too dark, and so on. So you may have to do a bit of mixing.

Swatches from Left to Right: Light, Medium, 50% Light mixed with 50% Medium.

After purchasing this concealer, I'm pretty confident in saying that I can toss all of my other concealers. If you're able to get your hands on a tube, I highly recommend you to try it!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge is sold at Wal-mart stores for $6.

Review: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

Product Description: This long-wearing foundation evens out skin tone as it increases skin luminosity and clarity for a radiant glow. The rich, creamy texture glides over the skin effortlessly for perfect application and blendability. Perfect for rosacea and hard to cover pigmentation. Ideal for all skin types, and oil free & fragrance free. 

Directions:

 -Place a small amount on the back of your hand and work the foundation into the narrow end of a sponge.

-Apply to your face, working on one area at a time.

-Set with translucent powder if desired. 

Available in 9 shades, and is $42 for a 1.18 fl. oz./35ml tube. 

Review: My initial thoughts of this foundation is that it's exactly like MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation, which was one of my past favorite foundations. From the consistency, to the finish and wear time, they are extremely similar. The consistency of Silk Creme is fairly thick, yet lightweight.. almost like a mousse/gel, and very creamy. It does have a chemical smell like MAC Studio Fix Fluid or Revlon Colorstay, because it's fragrance free, but it's not bad and it doesn't linger. Like mentioned above, the foundation is available in 9 different shades which range from Light to Medium Skin tones. I'm not sure why, but there aren't any shades for Dark or Tan skintones. The deepest shade is "Hazelnut Beige", which is the match for MAC NC35-37 coloring. So, not very dark at all. The shade I chose was "Bamboo Beige", which is a golden beige for light-medium skintones. It's a good MAC NC30 color match. The coverage is excellent, and what I expected from reading reviews. It's full coverage, but can be sheered out as much as you'd like. 

Here's a comparison of MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC30 (top) and LM Silk Creme in Bamboo Beige (bottom). If you find that MAC looks orange on you, LM has more of a golden beige tone.

Application: As far as application goes, it depends on how much coverage you need for your individual needs. I like a nice medium coverage, so I first mist my face with a little bit of MAC Fix Spray, or apply a light oil-free moisturizer and then dot a little foundation on each area of my face (cheeks, nose, forehead, chin) and then I take a Flat Top Foundation Brush and blend the foundation. On areas where I need a little more coverage, I like taking a Duo Fiber Brush and tapping more foundation on areas that need more coverage, such as any blemishes I have on my cheeks. For the fullest coverage, you can use your fingers or a standard foundation brush. For a lighter coverage, you can mix it with a light moisturizer or apply it with a moistened sponge.

The finish is gorgeous. It actually contains several silicones, so if you have enlarges pores, this foundation will help conceal them. My pores seem much less visible, and my skin looks completely even. I suppose it depends on your skin type (dry, normal, combination, oily).. but my skin is pretty normal, sometimes a little oily in the t-zone. It starts out for me as a satiny, luminous finish, and as the day goes on, it becomes a bit dewy. The foundation states that it is suitable for all skin types, but I think this foundation would work best for dry and normal/combination skin types. I believe dry skin will most benefit from this foundation as it doesn't accentuate dryness and it contains moisturizers. Because of the dewiness of this foundation and the silicones, oily skin types may find that this foundation will slide around your face throughout the day and settle in fine lines. I recommend using a setting powder with this foundation, as with most cream formula foundations, because they tend to transfer easily. By the end of the day, this foundation has typically worn off my nose and lightened up around my t-zone. I wouldn't call it long wearing, but I do think it will get you through a typical work day. I do think it photographs nicely, and although it doesn't state there is an SPF, titanium dioxide is at the end of the ingredients list, which is a sunscreen. 

The following photo was approximately two hours after application, and after being outside in 85 degree weather. I wanted to show what my face looked like without powder, so I didn't set my face with a setting powder as I normally would. As you can see, my face became a bit oily.

Face: MAC Mineralized All Over Lotion (as a base)

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light mixed with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in #20 (under my eyes)

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Bamboo Beige

Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder (to set concealer - applied under my eyes only)

Nars Irresistiblement Bronzer (on cheeks and up forehead, blended into my hairline)

MAC Coppertone Powder Blush (applied to the apples of my cheeks and blended up my cheekbones)

Eyes: MAC Nehru Eyeshadow (smudged into top and bottom lashline)

MAC Espresso Eyeshadow (smudged into Nehru on top lashline)

Stila Amethyst Kajal Liner (on waterline)

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara

Brows: E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium

MAC Brow Set in Girl/Boy

Lips: Rimmel Tiramisu Lip Liner Pencil

Wet n Wild Mega Matte Lipstick in 901B Think Pink (blotted with a tissue)

MAC Like Venus Dazzleglass

You can also click here, to view a recent FOTD where I set this foundation with powder.

Rocky - May 9, 2011

"What cupcake?"

"No more picture, please.."

"Are we done yet?"

 I've had a few requests for "Rocky" posts, so I decided to bring my camera out today.

 Me and George took Rocky out today for a little sunshine.. He loves being outside, but he barks at anything that moves. He hasn't been around any other dogs, so when he sees another dog, he goes nuts. I'm hoping to arrange some play dates with Rocky and some other dogs, so he'll feel a little more comfortable going for walks and seeing other dogs on the way. He also has a problem with seeing other people he doesn't know. Even if they are hundreds of feet away, he'll bark until he doesn't see them anymore, and there's no stopping him once he starts barking. I'm sure what he needs is obedience school, so he will obey when I say "No", and know who he should and shouldn't bark at. (Caesar Milan, are you reading this? haha) Any other ideas from pet owners? 

Rocky's lovely Dad picked him up a doggie cupcake from Sprinkles cupcakes.. He's so spoiled. He loved it!

"Mum Mum Mum"

Rocky will be 7 months old on May 12, he's such a big boy now!