Brightened
I'm a huge fan of using color in my eyeshadow looks. I especially love using somewhat bright shades. I have recently found myself attracted to my Wet n Wild Pop Art collection that was limited edition from last year. I initially wasn't too fond of the shadows due to the lack of pigmentation. I'm always let down when I feel like I have no choice but to use a white base with my shadows. A white base is great because it really makes the colors pop a lot more. I just don't feel like it should be a necessary step with eyeshadows.
I ended up slapping on Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk and popping some of these Wet n Wild shadows over Milk. I was really feeling the kind of tropical vibe on the eyes. I used Wet n Wild for the green and orange and reserved the pink for Woodstock by Urban Decay Cosmetics. Woodstock is probably my all time favorite pink. It's the only eyeshadow single that I own by UD. I decided to keep the face pretty simple and clean. I focused on perfecting the skin and sticking in the same color family with my Rose Gold blush by Sleek Makeup. Nude was the perfect selection for the lips, since there was already a lot going on in the eyeshadow. A hot pink lip would be really fun for a more dramatic touch.
Products used:
Eyes:
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
Wet n Wild Pop Art (Green/Orange)
Urban Decay Woodstock (pink)
Anastasia Dip Brow in Blonde
Mac Brow Pencil (brown)
Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara (Black)
Face:
Bourjois 123 Foundation
Benefit Porefessional Primer
Revlon Balm Stain in Charm (under eyes)
Benefit Erase Paste
Mac Blotting Powder
Mac Emphasize Highlighter
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Sleek blush in Rose Gold
Lipstick:
L'Oreal Fairest Nude
As always, let me know what you think down below!
xoxo,
Shelly
FOTD: Ariel Strikes Back
Sephora's Ariel Palette........ah, it brings back memories from last summer. The frantically rushing out to purchase it. The nervousness of not getting the palette, finally to the eventual boredom with the palette. The shadows are mostly pigmented, but there are a few duds. I decided to reach for the more pigmented shadows to do a colorful look. I really love how blues and purples look against brown eyes. They really make the eyes stand out.
This kind of look would be perfect for a night out, or as a day look for those who are feeling kind of spunky. I think color is fun to incorporate into your makeup routine. It can refresh you when you are feeling like you're stuck in a rut. I wore this look just around the house and out to Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
Products used:
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer
Sephora Ariel Palette - Triton, Caspian Sea, Sea Witch
Urban Decay Tease (crease)
Anastasia Dip Brow in blonde
Sephora Lashes (I'm not sure on the exact number)
Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack
Face:
Bourjois Matte Primer Serum
Bourjois 123 Foundation
Tarte Airbrush Foundation Powder
Tarte Exposed Blush
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Revlon Charm Balm Stain (under eyes)
MUFE Full Cover concealer
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
Lips:
Loreal Fairest Nude
Loreal Fairest Nude
Let me know what you think down below and be sure to subscribe for more posts!
Tag :
FOTD
FOTD: Natural Look Featuring My New Hair Style
It's Spring! That means that it is time for a hair change. Since I've been growing my hair out, I didn't want to do anything that would cause me to lose a lot of length. For that reason, I spruced up my look by getting bangs again. I had them previously and sort of let them go. I also retexturized my hair to give it a few more layers.
I thought I would share today's look for the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch party that I'm attending tonight for work. Some of you may know that I'm obsessed with my Galaxy S4, so it's only natural that I'm stoked for the S5. I wanted to keep my look professional, but not too dressed up. I chose a neutral eye with some winged liner and my new favorite natural lipstick, Bite Beauty's Cava.
I also got a chance to play around with the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush foundation. This is a powdered foundation that has a lot of coverage. This is my first wearing it, so I'll be sure to update you all with how it holds up throughout the launch party. I've also had some of you ask about my hair on instagram. I have not lightened it or dyed it at all. My hair naturally has some blonde highlights to it, so it's kind of a funky ombre thing right now.
Products used:
Eyes:
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
Urban Decay Naked 2 palette - Suspect and Tease
Elf Liquid Liner in Black
Anastasia Brow Kit in Blonde (wax and lightest shade for inner part of brow)
Anastasia Dip Brow in Blonde
Tarte Mascara
Face:
Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush foundation
Bourjois Matte Primer Serum
Hourglass Blush in Mood Exposure
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Benefit Eye Brightening Concealer duo
Lips:
Bite Beauty Cava
Be sure to subscribe to my blog for more posts!
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
FOTD
First Impressions: Beauty Blender
I finally got my hands on a Beauty Blender, courtesy of my best friend. I have been really curious about this beauty tool after hearing a lot of my fellow muas rave about the BB. I'l admit that I've been very skeptical probably because I remember back to those old white makeup sponges that I used as a teenager.
My skepticism didn't keep me from feeling all giddy when I saw the Beauty Blender sitting in its little container. I wondered what this sponge would hold in all its pink glory.
The actual sponge is shaped like a tear drop, with a fat end and a more tapered end. I used the fat end to dab on my foundation in a back and forth patting motion. I used the tapered end to blend out my undereye concealer. To use the Beauty Blender, I turned on my water spout and placed the BB in the water for a few until the sponge was completely saturated. I squeezed the Beauty Blender after I turned off the water and then I wrapped the little guy up in a paper towel. Once inside the paper towel, I gave it another squeeze for good measure.
I applied my Mac Pro Longwear foundation in dots on my face and then patted the BB all over the area to pat in my foundation. I continued this process until my foundation looked even. The results were astonishing to me. My skin really did look airbrushed!!
I am definitely impressed by this little pink sponge and would highly recommend the Beauty Blender to anyone!
Here's a product list for the look in the photo!
Products used:
Eyes:
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
Lorac Pro Palette (espresso, lt bronze, and pewter)
Anastasia Dip Brow in Blonde
Ardell Falsies in #110 black
Mac Fluidline Blacktrack
Face:
Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in NC 15
MUFE Full Cover Concealer
Bourjois Matte Primer Serum
Mac Blotting Powder
Revlon Balm Stain in Charm
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
Lips:
Bite Beauty lipstick in Cava
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
first impressions
FOTD: Purpley Pop
Hey readers! I was very inspired by spring today for my makeup look. I wanted to really brighten up my face and keep the look fairly simple. Of course I did have to throw falsies on to add some drama though.
Funny story about this lipstick I'm wearing. It was a limited edition color from Mac last year. I bought it up I haven't really worn it since. I was in the middle of an orange lip phase, so I just had to have it. I thought I hated it for some reason, but Razzle Dazzler really brought the perfect spring touch to this FOTD.
Products used:
Eyes:
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer
Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer
Sigma Resort Luna (lid), Topaz (crease), Moonbeam (lower lashline)
Ardell Lashes in 117
Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk
Mac Eyebrow Pencil
Face:
Bourjois Happy Light Matte Primer Serum
Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15
Revlon Lip butter in Juicy Papaya (color correcting)
Benefit Erase Paste in the lightest shade
Mac Blotting Powder
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Tarte Exposed blush
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
Lips:
Mac Razzle Dazzler
Mac Razzle Dazzler
Thanks for checking out this post!
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
FOTD
Review: Milani Rose Powdered Blushes in Lady Rouge and Coral Cove
When I first saw these Milani rose powdered blushes, I knew I had to have them. I spent nearly a month searching endlessly for the product. I was really wanting the pink shade, Tea Rose. I never found it though. Instead, I found these two - Lady Rouge and Coral Cove. I had read some mixed reviews on these Rose blushes, so I thought I should take a leap of faith and see what they were all about.
Lady Rouge (pictured above) is a pretty deep color for my skintone. It's a bright pink that leans somewhat red on my NC15 face. Lady Rouge is incredibly pigmented both in swatches and on the face. When I swatched this shade, it was pigmented but seemed a little patchy almost. I had to really work it into my arm to get a good looking swatch. I did not have this problem on my face though.
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Here's how Lady Rouge looks when applied to the face with a duo fiber brush. You can see the color goes on very smoothly and isn't patchy at all. The color lasted on me for over 12 hours with very minimal fading.
Coral Cove was the second Milani Rose blush shade that I picked up. The color seemed a lot more suited to my skin tone. Coral Cove, just like Lady Rouge, was very pigmented. It also swatched kind of patchy, but went on very smoothly on the cheeks. I wore Coral Cove for over 8 hours with minimal fading.
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Swatches of both shades taken with two different cameras.
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All of the Milani Rose blushes are available through Milani's website for $7.99.
Overall thoughts:
Great Pigmentation
Fantastic Staying Power
Good Blendability
Affordable
Would I recommend these? Definitely.
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
review
St. Patrick's Day Makeup
It's no secret that holidays are the perfect opportunity to bust out bold shadows and go for the dramatic. St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays for doing my makeup. Greens really stand out against my brown eyes, so I love St. Patrick's Day for its green hues.
I've actually really been itching to find a neon yellow based green for awhile. I've considered getting UD Electric, Sleek Acid, or Sugarpill Acidberry. I knew I wouldn't be able to find a shadow in time for St. Patrick's Day though. I knew I needed to come up with something.
That's when I decided to mix Inglot 477 with Sugarpill Butter Cupcake. The results can be seen in the inner corner of my look today.
The color is pretty much exactly what I was going for. I also decided to try my hand at falsies again for the second time. I had a lot more success this time around. I actually got the lashes to be close to my lash line!
Products used:
Eyes:
Anastasia Dip Brow in Blonde
Anastasia Dip Brow in Blonde
Inglot 477, 17
Sugarpill ButterCupcake
Sleek Storm Palette (the emerald green)
Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack
Ardell Glamour Lashes in 101 Black
Face:
Bourjois Happy Light Matte Serum
Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15
Mac Pro Longwear Foundation in NC15
Benefit Erase Paste mixed with MUFE Full Cover Concealer
Mac Blotting Powder
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil
Mac Emphasize
Milani Rose Blush in Coral Cove
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light
Lips:
L'oreal Fairest Nude
Let me know what you think down below!
xoxo,
Shelly
Review: Wet n Wild Powder Play 5 Pan Coloricon Eyeshadow
Wet n Wild has always been known for being one of the better drugstore brands. Their products have always been a great bang for the buck. I was always a fan of the pigmentation on their eyeshadows. So, it was no surprise when I caught sight of the new Wet n Wild 5 pan eyeshadows at my local CVS that I had to have them. They were around $4 if I remember right, so it was pretty affordable as usual.
Tunnel Vision, the gray WnW Powder Play Coloricon palette really jumped out at me. It looked like the colors would be really great for a smokey eye. I also like the way the shadows look in the small palette. It would be a great one to travel with.
These swatches of Tunnel Vision were taken on bare skin without any primer. I found that Tunnel Vision had OK pigmentation. It definitely is less pigmented than the older Wet n Wild formula. It took a little more to buildup the colors on my eyes. I also found that Tunnel Vision had a tendency to fade throughout the day, even when over primer.
The Naked Truth palette also jumped out at me. I figured it would be really great as a back up palette to keep in my purse for those makeup emergencies. I especially loved the color marked "crease".
The Naked Truth was less pigmented than Tunnel Vision. I was really disappointed with the pigmentation. The shadows out of The Naked Truth were very muddy on the eyes. The colors all seemed to come out about the same once applied. The shadows also faded considerably on me.
Overall, I would not recommend either of these two palettes. The pigmentation is weak in my opinion. If you can get your hands on Wet n Wild Comfort Zone, do so. It has superior pigmentation and staying power.
xoxo,
Shelly
Tag :
review
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