Face of the Day

Foundation: Chanel Perfection Lumiere B10 & B20 mixed
Concealer: Cle de Peau (blemishes) Bobbi Brown Correctors in Light Peach & Porcelain Peach (under eyes)
Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Eyes: MAC Omega Eyeshadow (brows)
         Benefit Long wear Eyeshadow in Thanks A Latte (lid)
         Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette (Naked 2 in crease & Venus/Foxy on brow bone)
         MAC Teddy Eye Pencil
         MAC Opulash Mascara

Cheeks: smashbox Sunkissed Matte Bronze Lights
             tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless
             Edward Bess

Lips: Chantecaille Lip Chic in Daphne
        Luminous Gloss in Pink Melon

Face of the Day



Foundation: tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage

Concealer: Chanel Correcteur Perfection

Brows: tarte Brow Architect

Eyes: Dior Night Golds Quint

Liner: Stila All Day Liquid Liner in Black

Bronzer: Bobbi Brown Golden Light

Blush: tarte Amazonian Clay in Stellar

Lips: MAC Honeylove & Anatasia Hydrafull Gloss in Sharona

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks

Every time I walk by the Bobbi Brown counter at my local Macy’s, I always stop and check out any new collections.  So I was excited to see the Pretty Powerful Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks on display.  Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge has become a customer favorite over the years, which is inspired by Bobbi’s grandmother.  Pot Rouge is a multi-tasking lip and cheek color in a double-duty cream formula that blends easily for a soft, stained finish.  It comes in a variety of shades from light pink to chocolate brown.

Bobbi has created this limited edition shade as part of her Pretty Powerful Campaign; where 100% of the $25 purchase will be donated to Dress for Success Worldwide.  This new campaign empowers women and girls around the world with the confidence and resources to be their best. Pretty Powerful is a warm neutral pink that will look fabulous on any skin tone. It has a cream finish (no shimmer) and great pigmentation.  It gives the cheeks the perfect flush and lips a soft pink tint.  If you haven’t tried Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge, this would be the perfect time (proceeds to charity) and shade to try! You can find it at Bobbi counters and at bobbibrown.com.

Mini Mascaras Review

I am a pretty tough critic when it comes to mascara, not sure what exactly. My lashes on their own are pretty long and plentiful, so mascara usually pumps them up pretty good. When I try out a mascara, I look for the following qualities; product consistency (don’t like the formula to be dry), brush size (prefer a larger brush), and separates the lashes (no sticking together, I like my lashes to fan out). Currently, I have been loving and using MAC’s False Lashes but I have received some sample mascaras and thought I would try them out and review. This will be a lengthy post, so here we go!

Benefit They're Real!

Benefit They’re Real! (Full Size $23)

Described as: A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular "out-to-here" look.

What it’s suppose to do: This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won't smudge, clump, or dry out.

My Thoughts:

Look: Lashes where lengthened and volumized, but didn’t separate as much as I like, had to use a flat eyeliner brush to assist in the separation.

Brush Use: Brush is bigger, which I like and delivered the product evenly, got to the lash root easily.

Clumping??: I did find the formula did clump a bit on the lash ends but I was able to smooth them out with a brush.

Wear time: Flake or smudge?? The mascara stayed on pretty well without any smudging but I did experience a little flakiness.

Overall not my favorite, not bad but just not for me.

 

Chanel Le Volume de Chanel

Chanel Le Volume de Chanel (Full Size $30)

Described as: This high-precision mascara achieves instant volume and intensely lush colour in a single stroke. Its innovative formula expands, plumping lashes to their fullest. The exclusive new ‘Snowflakes’ brush combines long and short bristles to deliver an extreme, eye-opening effect.

My Thoughts:

Look:  This mascara gives a good amount of length and curl but did not separate at all L One thing I did like about the formula was that the lashes didn’t look or feel hard and stiff.

Brush Use:  This brush is different than any other plastic bristle brush I have seen so I was excited to use it, unfortunately I found that it really clumped the lashes together rather than separate them. I had to use my eyeliner brush again to separate.

Clumping: Unfortunately I did experience so clumping when I applied but was able to smooth them out quickly.

Wear time: No serious flaking or smudging.

Overall: I really wanted to like this mascara because I really like Inimitable Intense by Chanel but I just wasn’t crazy about how clumpy the product applied. Just not for me….

 

Bobbi Brown  Intensifying Long-Wear

BB Intensifying Long-Wear (Full size $25)

Described as:  Bobbi Brown’s longest-lasting mascara.

What it’s supposed to do: This mascara not only delivers lush, thick lashes but can also stand up to elements (and even a few tears) for up to 16 hours. The unique bristles on its brush easily reaches small lashes that instantly builds volume without clumping. Best of all? There's no need for an eye makeup remover, because Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara washes off effortlessly with warm water.

My Thoughts

Look: Lashes look very natural and lengthened. No crazy volume but does separate beautifully.

Brush Use: The small brush really allows you to get to the root of the lashes very easily and grabs even the smallest of lashes.

Clumping: No here that I see J

Wear time: Wore great all day, no smudging or flakes!

Overall: Really like this mascara! I definitely would purchase a full size of this formula. It’s great for those low maintenance days when you want natural looking lashes. Love!

tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

Tarte Light’s Camera Lashes (Full Size $19)

Described As: A lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning mascara.

What it’s supposed to do: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! 4-in-1 Mascara could be considered a push-up bra for your lashes—a 4-in-1 (lengthening, curling, volumizing, and conditioning) dermatologist- and clinically-proven to increase the appearance of lash volume by 424% after applying giving dramatic, thick and sexy lashes.

My Thoughts

Look:  Lashes were nicely separated and lengthened, looked very natural. Not much curl or volume.

Brush Use:  The brush is standard size with soft fluffy bristles that allows for easy application.

Clumping: I didn’t experience any severe clumping but the standard lash clumping that can be fixed with your fingers or a flat eyeliner brush.

Wear time: I did experience a little bit flaking as the day wore on but no smudging.

Overall: Not bad, I like the brush a lot but the formula itself is so so. I will use the sample up but not purchase a full size.

None of these mascaras wowed me as much as MAC’s False Lashes, I truly love, love, love that formula. I hope MAC keeps it around for ever!!!

Beauty Favorites of 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2012 has come and gone…..boy does time fly! It’s been a crazy year for me; I never knew that raising a little kiddo would be so tiring and amazing at the same time. Having a child has changed my spending habits for beauty/fashion items; instead buying lipgloss, I have been buying formula and diapers buy the truck load. I feel like I didn’t purchased as many new products this year but the ones that I did have turned out to be some of my favorite, most used products of the year. So with out further ado, here are my favorite beauty products of 2012!

Skincare

• Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel ($35) - Contains Glycolic & Salicylic Acid to exfoliate and clarify. It’s oil-free and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean.

• Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer ($45) - Lightweight, Oil-Free and melts into to the skin to hydrate beautifully plus contains multiple anti-aging ingredients. Only wished it came in a pump!

 • Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee Eye & Lip Cream ($49) – I use this morning & night, super lightweight, I feel my dark circles have lighten a bit and definitely feel like I look less fatigued in the eyes.

• Caudalie Pulpe Vitaminee Anti Wrinkle Serum ($62) – I use this a night to give my skin a little moisture before bedtime. Contains Hyaluronic acid and Grape-seed Polyphenols to smooth and correct wrinkles. Got to start early to combat those wrinkles!!

 

Makeup

• Foundation – Chanel Perfection Lumiere ($54) B10/B20 – Love Love Love this foundation! I get even coverage every time and it lasts all day…it really is perfection.

• Concealer – Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer & Corrector ($23 each) Sand/Light Bisque – Use together really covers my dark circles and other skin imperfections.

• Powder – Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent Powder ($3.99) – Heard about this powder on Pixi2woo’s YouTube channel. Extremely affordable & works great to set my makeup.

• Blush – Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed ($25) this is my favorite color currently but I love the formula of this blush and have it in multiple colors. Lasts all day and this is a perfect everyday nude shade.

• Bronzer – Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream ($45) – Been my go to bronzer for about 2 years now. I love it, can’t say anything but good things about it.

• Eyeshadow – (tie) MAC Carine Roitfeld Desert Camouflage Palette ($44) & Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette ($50) – These both are excellent neutral palette perfect for everyday use. You can create tons and tons of look using just these 2 palettes.

• Eyeliner – (tie) Eve Pearl Black Pearl Liquid liner ($29) & MAC Teddy Eye Kohl ($15) I use these separately but also together to get the perfect liner. The EP liquid really gets to the bottom of the lash line to create a really thin line. Teddy is just an overall great everyday liner.

• Mascara – MAC False Lashes ($20) doesn’t clump or flake. It lasts all day and makes my lashes longer and fuller than any other formula I have tried.

• Lip liner – No. 7 Lip liner in Nude ($7.99) best basic lip liner, almost exactly like Sublime Culture from MAC. I use this everyday.

• Lipstick – Burberry Lip Cover in Nude Rose ($30) Great neutral color, I have been using a lot this fall in winter as my go to lipstick for everyday.

• Lipgloss – (tie) Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Intimacy ($22) & Chanel Sweet Beige Glossimer ($29.50) both of these shades look great on their own or over lipstick. Love both formulas.

 

Well there you have it, my favs of 2012. Hope everyone had a safe New Year Holiday and I can’t wait to see what new goodies 2013 will bring! See you next time…

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Bronzed Heather High Shimmer Lip Gloss

High Shimmer is the newest lip gloss formula released by Bobbi Brown. It offers light-catching shimmer and lasting, non-sticky shine. This is my first time trying this formula and I have to say that I really enjoy it. One thing I really like about the High Shimmer formula is the scent of the gloss; it’s like a sweet mint. I much prefer this to the scent of all the other glosses. Now that I think about it, the Rich Color Gloss has this same scent.

Bronzed Heather is described on the BB website as a Pink nude with gold flecks and I must say that description is a little off. When I think of pink nude, I think of a much lighter pink color that the color of this gloss. To me it’s more of a plumy pink with high gold shimmer. As you can tell from the swatch, this gloss does have a lot of shimmer and is super high shine. I was worried about the color at first, I thought it may be to dark for me, but that wasn’t the case at all. It’s actually quite beautiful on and almost gives my lips a bronzy hue. The formula is moderately thick and has decent pigmentation. This shade is going to be a great shade for Fall and I definitely see myself wearing it a lot!

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Pink Sunset Shimmer Lip Gloss

Pink Sunset Shimmer Lip Gloss ($23)  is one of two limited edition shades of Shimmer Lip Gloss released with the Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection, the other being Twilight. Pink Sunset is described as Pink Champagne, which is pretty spot on.  It’s not very pigmented by it does add a beautiful iridescence to lips on its own.  Applied over almost any shade of lipstick it adds a soft shimmer with lots of shine.  All of Bobbi’s Shimmer Lip Glosses are formulated with Aloe Extract, Vitamin C & E, Jojoba and Avocado Oils to soften, soothe and moisturize lips.  Pink Sunset is an easy color to throw on in a hurry and looks very natural. I find myself reaching for it almost everyday. 

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Bronzer/Blush Duo

 I picked up a few items from the Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection from Bobbi Brown. I was strolling through Macys and saw the collection displayed, I was immediately drawn to the Bronzer/Blush Duo ($36.) On one side of the split pan is Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Pink Peony and on the other side Shimmer Blush in Bahama Brown, Bobbi Brown describes it as “the perfect way to add a pop of color to the apples of cheeks. Simply use Bobbi's Blush Brush to create a beautifully blended 'late summer' glow."

This limited-edition Blush/ Bronzer Duo is naturally beautiful and different than any blush/bronzer combo I have used. At first glance you would think that Bahama Brown is the bronzer and Pink Peony is the blush, but it’s just the opposite. Bahama Brown Shimmer Blush is a neutral brown with just a hint of pink which prevents this shade from looking muddy on the skin. Pink Peony Illuminating Bronzer is a neutral pink that will suit almost anyone. It’s similar to Maui or Antigua Illuminating Bronzers in permanent collection. It’s a super soft and smooth powder that glides on evenly. Combined, these shades give a healthy glow to the face that would look beautiful on all skin tones. I have applied this product how Bobbi Brown said to use it, apply Pink Peony all over the face for a subtle glow and add Bahama Brown to the cheek for warmth. I think you could easily use it the reverse way to get a slightly different look. I’ll have to try that out next!

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection: Pink Truffle Creamy Color for Cheeks & Lips

Bobbi Brown introduced a new product with her Fall 2012 Desert Twilight Collection; Creamy Color for Cheeks & Lips ($20). This Limited Edition product is described by Bobbi as “Buildable color that blends with ease - our new dual-purpose formula provides medium coverage for both lips and cheeks (now in a fuss-free tube). Wear it alone for a muted flush of color or layer it with your favorite blush for richer depth; the intensity is all up to you. Feels creamy-yet-sheer on skin and makes transitioning from summer to fall a breeze thanks to two ultra-versatile shades.” The Creamy Color comes in 2 shades, Honeyed Tea (a honey beige) and Pink Truffle (a neutral pink rose). I decided to try out Pink Truffle as this shade looked more like a fall shade to me.

This product performs double duty as a cream blush and a lip cream. Pink Truffle is a deep neutral pink that is easy to use and blends nicely to give my cheeks a soft flush and my lips a soft stain of color. On the cheeks it has pretty good staying power especially if you go over it with a powder blush. On the lips, this product melts into the lips and gives a stain like effect which I like. I have been applying two of the new Bobbi Brown glosses (review to come soon) from this collection over Pink Truffle on my lips and I love the look it gives. This is a great product that I wish Bobbi Brown will come up with more shades and maybe make it permanent.

Blended

Bobbi Brown Miami Collection Treatment Lip Shines

Bobbi Brown released four new shades of Treatment Lip Shines ($23) with the Summer 2012 Miami Collection; Pink Seashell, Orchid Pink, Sunset and Peach Sorbet.  I picked up two shades, Pink Seashell – pink nectar (to me, a warm peachy pink) and Orchid Pink – light heather pink (a soft cool pink).  The Treatment Lip Shines have a SPF 15 and contain rejuvenating moisturizers such as natural Cocoa and Shea Butters, Jojoba, Apricot Kernel and Avocado oils.  The formula is llightweight and gives lips soft shine that doubles as a moisturizing treatment. They instantly comforts dry lips and provides long-term hydration.

Both colors are great everyday shades that give lips a nice wash of color.  Pink Seashell leans to the warmer pink (almost peachy) side, where Orchid Pink leans cooler.  I am kind of loving Orchid Pink with a bronzy eye (Beach Bronze Long-wear cream eyeshadow) and cheeks.  I am always surprised how much color you get from these lip shines.  These have about as much pigment as a regular lipstick but with more shine.  If you don’t own any of the Treatment lip shines you should definitely check them out.  The compact small tube packaging makes it’s super easy to take anywhere, from your handbag to even you pants pocket.

L to R : Pink Seashell, Orchid Pink

Bobbi Brown Miami Collection Long-wear Cream Eyeshadows

Bobbi Brown has introduced her Summer 2012 collection entitled Miami. The collection consists of four new shades of Long-Wear Cream Shadow ($24) in Copper, Bronze Sugar, Nude Beach, and Candlelight. I picked up three of the shades in Candlelight, Nude Beach and Bronze Sugar.

I really love the Long-Wear Cream Shadow formula, especially the shimmer finish shades.
The cream color has a soft, smooth finish and is easily blendable and buildable. You can either apply with your fingers or a brush, but I like to use both. I apply first with my fingers then buff out the edges with a MAC 217 brush. All three shades from the Miami Collection have a shimmer, some more than others. But one thing is for sure; all shades have such a beautiful gleam about them. The formula is in fact pretty long-wearing as the name suggested and I find I don’t have to touch up at all through out the day. The shades almost melt together to create a beautiful shimmering eye.

Candlelight is described as a pale gold and that is exactly what you get. This is the lightest shade in the collection and is perfect to highlight the brow bone or inner corner of the eye. From what I can see, it has tiny flecks of sparkle in it as well. This shade would also serve as a great base shadow.

Nude Beach is described as a shimmering pink nude. I don’t get too much pink from swatching it or looking at it in the pot, it seem peachier to me. The color blends into my skin tone well, so it was difficult to see when applied to my lids. This is a great base shade for me and that’s what I will probably use it for mostly. It has just a touch of soft shimmer, which is really pretty.

Beach Bronze is described as brown bronze and that is a pretty spot on description. This is my favorite shade in the collection because it really makes my brown eyes shimmer with bronzy goodness. This highly pigmented, shimmery shade is perfect for summer and would look beautiful with tanned, bronzed skin.

I purchased these shadows on the Bobbi Brown website, check them out here.



Bobbi Brown Pink Peony Rich Color Gloss

Only one item from the recently released Bobbi Brown collection, Peony & Python, really caught my eye.  Pale Peony Rich Color Gloss ($22) is a semi sheer bright pink with a cream finish.  There is a slight mint scent that is the norm for the Rich Color Gloss formula, which I really enjoy.  It almost makes your lips tingle a bit.   Also the texture is not as sticky and much smoother than her other gloss formulas.  This color is a great complement to Bikini Pink Rich Lip Color that I had purchased earlier.  The combo makes for a great bright spring lip, which is very on trend right now.

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color SPF 12

Bobbi Brown just launched a new lip color formula for spring called Rich Lip Color ($22).  There are twelve shades in the range, from pink beige to a rich plum. The formula is designed to feel lightweight, give lots of color, with a creamy soft texture to moisturize lips with a SPF 12. The formula also combines pigments with a clear base to deliver pure color with one application.  I picked up a few colors and the first I will review is Bikini Pink (softwhite pink).

Bikini Pink is a light medium pink with no shimmer.  Actually this formula does not have any shimmer in any of the colors. Bikini Pink is a great color for spring and summer, very fun and everyday wearable.  I found that this formula is in fact very lightweight and easy to wear.  I would recommend that you apply this formula on recently conditioned lips.  If your lips are too dry, the color can look a little flakey.  The coverage is pretty much opaque when applied from the tube but can be applied easily and lighter with a lip brush.  Also for extra shine, throw on some Crystal Lip Gloss overtop. Overall, a nice new formula from Bobbi Brown and I hope to see more colors added to the range in the future.

Bobbi Brown Pretty Face Palette Spring 2011

For Spring 2011, Bobbi Brown introduced two new palettes with the theme of her Pretty Powerful campaign. One palette offers colors catered toward lighter skin tones and the other for deeper skin tones. I picked up the lighter skin tone version. Bobbi Brown Pretty Face Palette ($60) is a face color palette with four eyeshadows, one blush, two lipglosses, and one lipstick. It includes: Ivory eyeshadow, Pink Flannel eyeshadow, Pink Chiffon Shimmerwash eyeshadow, Chocolate Caviar eyeshadow, Pretty Pink Blush, Sandwash Pink Lip Color, Bubble Bath Lip Gloss, and Soiree Pink Glitter Lip Gloss. Here is a more in depth look at the colors in the palette…..

• Ivory is a pale creamy white with a matte finish and is a permanent color. It is nicely pigmented and is meant to be used as an all over base eyeshadow.
• Pink Flannel is a nude pink with a matte finish and is limited edition. Also nicely pigmented.
• Pink Chiffon is a bright pink with shimmerwash finish and is limited edition. This shadow is very soft and buttery like most shimmerwash shadows by Bobbi.
• Chocolate Caviar is a deep chocolate brown with a matte finish and is limited edition. This color is meant to be uses as a liner and can be used wet or dry.

Clockwise from top left: Ivory, Pink Flannel, Pink Chiffon, Chocolate Caviar

• Pretty Pink is a warn baby pink blush with a matte finish. Beautifully pigmented, love this shade!

• Sandwash Pink is a Beige, medium pink with no shimmer and is a permanent color. Highly pigmented and long lasting, works great with the two glosses in the palette.
• Bubble Bath is a sheer bright neutral pink with no shimmer and is limited edition. Very pretty color and enhances my natural lip color.
• Soiree Pink is a very sheer baby pink with silver flecks and is limited edition.

Top to Bottom: Soiree Pink, Bubble Bath, Sandwash Pink

Overall, this is great palette for spring and is very easy to use. The only thing that really bothers me about Bobbi’s eyeshadows is the staying power. I find that they don’t last through out the day as much as other brands do. I have to use some sort of base when using her shadows to have them last. If you are looking for an easy simple look for spring, this palette is definitely worth checking out.