June Favorites

Here are the things that I am loving for the month of June:

1. MAC 116 blush brush-This brush is the BEST for applying blush. It is like blush application for dummies! It allows you to apply color precisely to the area that you want without making a mess of your cheeks. Definitely a must have!

2. MAC 224 blending brush-I love this so much that I have two of them! It is so multi-purpose. It is particularly great for under eye concealer application! Also a must have!

3. L'Oreal Professional Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base-I use this under my eye to smooth out the fine lines. It is great and keeps my concealer in place all day.

4. MAC Thrills Lipstick-This is a limited edition color so I am bummed that I didn't pick up a back up :( This is my favorite lip color for the month of June, perfect for summer.

5. China Glaze For Audrey-I already did a post on this. Love the color, currently my pedicure color for June.

6. Almay Oil Free Makeup Remover Towelettes-These are phenomenal! I am on my second pack. They're packed with aloe, cucumber, and green tea, so they are very soothing to the skin. I love these!

7. MAC Tan Pigment-A muted pinky brown bronze color, this pigment is perfect for work and play.

8. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural-This powder is all I wear as "foundation" since it is so hot and humid. It provides enough coverage to even out my skin tone and has definitely been a staple in my makeup routine.

9. Multi-Strand Lucite Necklace-I picked this up at Macy's for a steal and it has become the perfect accessory!

My Summer Love-China Glaze For Audrey

I know that I am incredibly late in falling in love with this color, as For Audrey has been out since 2007. It has taken me that long to drum up the courage to put this on my nails, as I am usually a safe nail polish wearer. It was so worth the wait. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS COLOR! It is the closest shade to Tiffany & Co blue that I have ever seen. And who doesn't like love Tiffany & Co? I purchased it and immediately went to my car and painted my nails with it. I highly recommend this color. If you are a little more conservative with you manicure colors, try it as a pedicure color. You won't regret it. Just one thing, the formula is a cream formula that goes on thick, so you have to be patient with your application. I suggest two coats to get an even finish.

2 Finger Rings-Blast From The Past Revisited

I never thought I would see the day that 2 finger rings would make a serious comeback, besides on the hands of Flava Flav. But alas, they did. I must admit that I fell prey to 2 finger rings revisited and picked up a few. I was pleasantly surprised to find a selection of fashionable ones, not at all like the chunky gold ones worn by the hip hop artists of the 80's.

I picked up this one from Forever 21 for $2.80. Here's a picture of me channeling my inner gangsta rapper fashionista.

Anyhow, I love my ring, no matter how big and gaudy it may be!

Face Of The Day

I wanted to share with you my face of the day :) I was going for a summery bronze look.












Products used:

Face

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Refined Zone Treatment
MAC Minearlize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark
MAC Sweet As Cocoa Blush

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Goldmine on my lid
MAC Tempting in crease and blended out to brow bone
Tarte Shimmering Buff on brow bone as highlighter
Bourjois Contour Clubbing on lash line and water line
MAC Zoomlash mascara on upper lashes and lower lashes

Lips

MAC Bateaux lustreglass


Overall, I was pleased :)

Collective Haul-I came, I spent, I hauled!

Warning: Picture heavy post

I have been doing a bit of shopping lately and I picked up a few things from MAC, Lancome, Target, Ulta, Sally's Beauty Supply, and the drugstore.

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So this is what I picked up:






From left to right clockwise we have:

1. Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof eyeliner in Black Party
   
2. MAC lipsticks in Thrills and Pink Nouveau


3. MAC blush in Honour


4. L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base (primer)


5. MAC Brushes 224, 129, & 116
   
6. Sonia Kashuk small multi-purpose powder brush
   
7. China Glaze nail polishes in V, Awakening, and II


8. Eco Tools retractable kabuki brush
   
9. Lancome Hypnose mascara in black

Lipsticks: Pink Nouveau (top), Thrills (bottom)

Pink Nouveau is from MAC's permanent collection. It is a true pink color. I do not wear it that bright, I put a light coat on with a pink lip gloss layered on top. Thrills is from MAC's To The Beach Collection. It is a rosy coral with gold shimmer. It is my favorite summer color for the moment!

Honour blush

Honour is also from MAC's permanent line. It is a golden beige with gold pearl. I use it as a highlighter as it is far too light to use as a blush on my skin tone.

Left to right: V, Awakening, II

V is a orangey (is that even a word?) coral and has fast become my summer pedicure color. Awakening is a raspberry color with golden iridescence. II is a sheer shimmery nude color.

From bottom to top: Sonia Kashuk brush, MAC 224, MAC 129, MAC 116, kabuki

Yes, I picked up a second MAC 224 brush as I realized that I needed one for blending and one for concealer. The 129 is a powder and blush brush and the 116 is a dense blush brush. The Sonia Kashuk brush, available at Target, is great for the crease and also a great at applying powder underneath the eyes. The kabuki brush, also available at Target, is a travel kabuki that retracts so it fits perfect into my makeup bag.

Well you see what I've been up to. What have you purchased lately?

Tips To Beat The Heat With Your Makeup

The summer can wreak havoc on your beauty routine with the sweltering temperatures. Here in Houston, we also have the horrible humidity which can cause your makeup to disappear. The heat can often time make your makeup feel heavy and gross on your face. To combat this, I have a few summer beauty tips.

1. SPF, SPF, SPF-I can't stress it enough! SPF is so important to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. Find a moisturizer with SPF in it. I use Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer with SPF 15.
2. Speaking of moisturizer, try to use a tinted moisturizer. It is much lighter on the skin than foundation. Laura Mercier makes a great tinted moisturizer.
3. Use primer, it will keep your make up in place and fresh looking in the sticky heat. Loreal Studio Secrets is a great inexpensive face primer.
4. Waterproof mascara will be your hero, especially in humid climates! Pretty much every mascara comes in a waterproof variety.
5. Blotting sheets can be your best friend. They blot the shine and oil away. They fit in your purse and can be a summer life saver. Clean & Clear make great ones.

Summer Trend-Lucite Accessories

Lucite jewelry was spotted all over the Spring/Summer 2010 runway shows. From Fendi to Michael Kors, Lucite was everywhere! While browsing Macy's accessories department, I spotted several Lucite jewelry displays. They're such versatile pieces that can me worn with any color because they're...CLEAR. I ended up picking up a Lucite necklace and earrings for $12 total as Macy's was having a phenomenal sale. What I like about the Lucite jewelry is that it adds visual dimension to an outfit, as the pieces tend to be on the chunkier side. I am going limit myself to wearing only one piece of Lucite at a time, as too many pieces can start to look cheap. However, you won't catch me rocking clear Lucite heels...that's just a no no!

War of the Department & Drug Store Mascaras: MAC Opulash vs Maybelline Colossal Volume Express

I am always on the hunt for the perfect mascara, whether it be from a drugstore or a department store. Since I was blessed with long lashes, I generally search for a voluming mascara. I am currently in love with MAC Opulash. I was bragging to my sister about how great it makes my lashes look, when she told me to try Maybelline Colossal Volume Express to see if I liked it also. So I did. I must say, it's not bad for a drugstore mascara and it gave my beloved Opulash a run for it's money.

Maybelline Colossal Volume Express in Glam Black

The brush is larger and fatter than your normal mascara brush. It is more full in the middle, then has a slight taper toward the end. I found it hard to get my inner lashes coated with this brush. The formula is nice, though I found it a little thin for my taste. It dries fast which means you must work quickly between coats. I did not find it clumped at all and made my lashes feel soft, almost natural. It did a great job separating my lashes, although I did not feel it thickened them at all. It did an okay job of curling my lashes, but not a great job though. This retails for $7.49 at drugstores.

MAC Opulash in Bad, Bad, Black

This also has a larger than normal brush. It has more of a taper on the end so I'm able to get my inner lashes better. The formula for this mascara is great. It does not dry too fast so I am able to take a little more time between coats. I did find it could get a little clumpy if you're not careful. It also does an excellent job of separating my lashes and it thickens them quite nicely. I found that it curls my lashes way better than the Maybelline mascara. My lashes were slightly more stiff with Opulash, but I think that is why it holds curl better. This retails for $14 at department stores and freestanding MAC stores.

MAC on left, Maybelline on right (2 coats of each)

The Verdict: While they both do an excellent job of separating lashes, MAC Opulash slightly edges out Maybelline Colossal Volume Express simply because it curls and thickens lashes better. However, Maybelline is great affordable alternative if you can't see yourself spending $14 for mascara!

Shoe Crush-Christian Louboutin Pigalle

I watched Sex and The City 2 this past weekend and found myself crushing on Carrie's Christian Louboutin Pigalle Crystal Encrusted Stilettos. They are everything I love in a shoe; sky high, versatile, and incredibly sexy! In the movie, she paired it with a simple white jersey knit dress, but this shoe can be paired with anything from the likes of a cocktail dress to skinny jeans and a cute top! Of course the price tag is astronomical, however, a girl can dream. I did find a more affordable alternative from Michael Antonio for $64.95.

Michael Antonio, Lloyd, www.endless.com

Not quite the same, but until I hit the lottery, these will have to do!

A Quick Fix For Nails

This past weekend, I was in a close friend's wedding. She required that her bridesmaids have a french manicure. Now since I do not wear acrylic nails nor do I wear french manicures, I needed to find a quick fix for my nails. So I went to my local drugstore to see what I could find. I have never been good with those french manicure kits that come with the polish, so I new that was not going to be an option. Then I spotted Broadway Nail's Real Life French Nail Kit. It comes with 24 artificial nails in different sizes, nail glue, a nail file, and a cuticle stick. They were really easy to put on and took me about 15 minutes to do both hands. I purchased the "real short" length. Once glued on, they stayed put and I was able to go about my normal activities without fear that one would pop off. The box says that they will last for about seven days. And the best part is that they only cost me $4!

I was able to satisfy the bride and save myself a trip to the nail salon and no one was the wiser!