Thursday, March 8, 2012

Fierce & Tangy but Very Springy

This is a look I've been doing a lot using the Maybelline Color Tattoo Shadow in Fierce and Tangy. I really like that it's colorful but still very wearable. Here is how I did it...
1. Place Maybelline Color Tattoo's Fierce & Tangy all over the lid .
2. Use a burgundy or dark pink shadow for the outer corner. I used Ulta's Baked Shadow in Covet. (right side of pan)
3. Place a light pink shadow on the center of the lid like L'oreal Hip Shadow in Dashing
4. With a blending brush, sweep a shadow that's close to your skin tone on the crease. In my case it was L'oreal Hip Shadow in Shady.
5. Line the eyes and smudge the same burgundy/dk pink color used on the corner of the lid on the lower lash line.
6. Apply mascara and done!

Thanks for visiting! Please feel free to leave a comment or ask questions.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

DUST FREE BRUSHES - Makeup Brush Holder Ideas

When I first started collecting makeup brushes, I would just put them in a jar and leave them sitting out. I noticed that they would get so dusty especially ones that I don't use every day. I spend a lot of time washing my makeup brushes so the last thing I want is for them to get dusty before I even use them. I dont know, but the idea of using a brush full of dust on my face just doesn't sit well with me so this is what I came up with.



I love the fact that this isn't just a brush holder but it also serves as a beautiful decorative piece for my counter. I got these at TJMaxx for $9.99 each but if you don't have any of the discount stores by you, you can also find jars similar to this one at your local craft store. I know Joanns and Michaels have them and they are about $25-$30 but you can use a 40 or 50% off coupon to make them more affordable.

There is also a jar that you can get at Walmart (Houseware section) for $7.44 which I think is a good alternative. Here is what it looks like.

Now for those of you who have a smaller brush colletion, here is another idea.



This case came with a microdermabrasion kit I had bought so I can't really tell you exactly where to get one but I'm sure you can find something similar to this somewhere.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Pls. feel free to leave a comment or ask questions. Thanks!

Monday, March 5, 2012

URBAN DECAY NAIL & SHADOW KITS - Review and Swatches

It looks like Urban Decay will be having a big sale some time soon (details have not been released yet) so I thought of doing a quick review on two of their items that I have been recently loving. The first one is their Holiday Nail Kit that was given to me by my awesome cousin Kathrine.
This set includes 6 mini bottles of really cool shades of nail polish. It's on sale on their site for $19.00 (reg. $28) and might even be cheaper with the upcoming sale. I love all the colors and I do think that the size of the bottle is just right since I don't recall finishing a regular sized bottle of nail polish ever. The picture below shows 3 coats of each color.
Barlust (deep shimmery brown); Hot Mess (sparkling fuchsia); Mars (shimmery emerald green); Gunmetal (shimmery deep grey),  Wrecked (deep burgundy), Ziggy (gold w/iridescent sparkle)


 I decided to combine two of the colors from the kit and this is what I came up with. This is 2 coats of gunmetal and a coat of ziggy on top.


Now moving on to the 24/7 Shadow Pencil Stash. I had mentioned this on a recent post and said that this kit is on sale right now on their site for $12
(reg $34).
 Delinquent (dark purple w/bright purple sparkle), Rehab (taupe), Juju (frosted taupe),  Sin (shimmering champagne), Clash (bright turquoise w/silver sparkle)

These pencils are highly pigmented and the staying power is just unbelievable. The application on the other hand is not as great. It's not bad by any means but it just doesn't glide as smoothly compared to other cream shadows. There is a very slight tug when you apply it directly on the lid but you can always warm the product up with your fingers before applying. I also find myself using these on my lower lash line a lot. I dont get any smudging and it saves me the trouble of having to put a liner and setting it with a shadow after.

 Rehab (taupe), Juju (frosted taupe),  Sin (shimmering champagne), Clash (bright turquoise w/silver sparkle),  Delinquent (dark purple w/bright purple sparkle)

All in all I think these are two really good kits and are both worth the money. Pls. feel free to leave comments or ask questions. Thanks!

T.J.MAXX is TheBalm (Deal & Swatches)



I just had to share these amazing finds . I was at T.J.Maxx last week when I stumbled upon these sets by TheBalm. If you're familiar with this brand then you would know that they

make good cosmetics but that they tend to be on the pricier side. You can check out their products and prices on their website http://www.thebalm.com/ or at http://www.sephora.com/. A blush or a bronzer would normally cost you about $19 so imagine the look on my face when I found a set of 3 for .....TANTADADAN.....$9.99.  That's 83% off!!! Ok enough talk, here are the pictures and swatches.

 
Hot Mama is a beautiful pinky-peach shadow/blush with a hint of gold shimmer in it. This reminds me of Milani Luminous Blush which a lot of people say is similar to NARS Orgasm.


 
 Bahama Mama is a matte bronzer that has no orange undertones.  I love this because it won't make you look like an Oompa Loompa.

Sexy Mama is a translucent powder perfect for setting your foundation. It has tiny, oil-absorbing spheres that remove shine

Hot Mama, Bahama Mama 

The second set I got is called "Fake It Don't Bake It". It includes 4 different TheBalm products and also cost $9.99.

Betty-Lou Manizer is an all-in-one bronzer, shimmer and eyeshadow.

Frat Boy is a smooth peachy-apricot  shadow/blush. This looks matte in the pan but when swatched you will notice a pearly sheen to it.

The Balm Shelter tinted lip gloss in Valley girl  with SPF 17. This is the only product in the set that did not impress me.
Baby Buki is a mini kabuki brush that comes in a plastic case. I really thought this was going to go straight to the trash but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this brush is soft and perfectly sized for my makeup bag.

Frat Boy, Betty-Lou Manizer, Balm Shelter 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please feel free to leave comments or ask questions. Thanks!