Adia Goss

How I Rock Pink Eyeshadow (A Collaboration With Jen and Anna)

May 5th, 2016 by Adia Goss 26 Comments

pink eyeshadow look — Wearing the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette ($58)

I may have mentioned this once or twice before (or three times or four), but I absolutely love pink makeup. I think pink is a great way to wear subtle color, and since I’ve never met a pink eyeshadow I don’t like, I thought it would be fun to collaborate with Jen and Anna, who’ll be sharing their looks soon, and share with you one way that each of us likes to wear pink eyeshadow.

The look I’m wearing at the top is how I like to rock pink eyeshadow, and I have to thank some awesome readers for the inspiration! One reader mentioned that the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Concentrated Crayons would be great as eyeshadow bases, and another raved about the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette.

I took the comments to heart and used them both for this springy pink look. Thanks so much, ladies! I love hearing your comments, questions and tips, so keep them coming! Seriously, the comments make my day 🙂

To achieve this look, I used Maybelline Color Tattoo 25HR Concentrated Crayon in Pink Parfait as a base all over my eyelids, then applied Zone from the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani palette in my crease using a Morphe E22 brush.

With the Zoeva Luxe Smoky Shader brush (first mentioned in this post on Zoeva), I packed Harajuku onto my lids, and Harajuku, by the way, is a pink lover’s dream! It’s hot pink and sparkly, but when used with Zone it’s not too bright.

And then on my brows I used ColourPop Cosmetics Brow Pencil in Black N’ Brown and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara on my lashes.

pink eyeshadow — I love how this look turned out and am currently obsessed with this Anastasia Beverly Hills lipgloss!

For my base, I used Becca Aqua Luminous Foundation in Warm Honey, and this was my first time using this foundation. For the record, it’s amazing! I’ve tried other glowy foundations (I’ve reviewed Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow and L’oreal Lumi Cushion), but this is probably my favorite so far because of the buildable coverage and longevity.

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Brush Up on Bright With the New Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set

May 3rd, 2016 by Adia Goss 13 Comments

Now, I thought the Zoeva Complete Brush Set brushes were/are gorgeous, but I was floored by the brushes in the Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set ($21.99)!

The brushes in this four-piece set all have colorful floral-print handles and coordinating bristles, and they’re a sight to behold, but looks are nothing when it comes to brushes. What I want to know is how do they work? Do they make it easier to apply my makeup? Does my makeup look better when I use them? Let’s see…

The Sonia Kashuk Brush Couture Brush Set comes with a domed powder/blush brush (purple), synthetic contour/buffing brush (orange), tapered powder/highlight brush (pink) and a duo fiber foundation/concealer brush (yellow), and I think we can all agree that these are some super cute brushes.

Are they as good as they look?

Well, the domed powder/blush brush works nicely as a blush brush. It’s a little smaller and more dense than what I typically reach for, but it picks up pigment nicely and is very, very smooth.

Here’s a comparison of it to other blush brushes in my collection:

The Sonia Kashuk domed powder/blush brush is larger than the Zoeva Luxe Highlight Brush but smaller than the Zoeva Luxe Cheek Finish Brush, so it’s on the small size for a blush brush. That being said, it does a fine job of applying my blush.

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My Friday FOTD With the NARS Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection

April 29th, 2016 by Adia Goss 33 Comments

I think everything from the NARS Summer 2016 Under Cover Collection — from the Lip Covers to the Dual-Intensity Blushes and the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows — is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love how cohesive the overall collection is and how they included shades for neutral looks and bold looks, too. The makeup look I was wearing in my review of the eyeshadows was something closer to my normal neutral makeup looks, so I thought I’d try a bolder look outside my comfort zone today.

This look was actually really easy, but I think it definitely makes a statement.

First I dampened my brush before applying Deep End all over my lids to intensify the color, and I also used a damp brush to apply Deep End all along my lower lash line. Then, to blend this out, I used a fluffy crease brush to lightly dust Tan Lines into my crease. If I’d wanted to do a smokey look, I could have applied this damp as well, but I just wanted to blend out Deep End, so I applied it dry.

For my blush, I used the right side of the Liberation Dual-Intensity Blush, a really pretty terra-cotta shade. It’s a great everyday blush for me, and I love how there’s a slight sheen it.

I didn’t use any highlighter (which is sooo rare for me because I LOVE, LOVE highlighter), but I still had a soft glow from the blush. I was super impressed that this didn’t look flat on me at all.

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Palm Beach Awaits With the Essie Spring 2016 Collection

April 29th, 2016 by Adia Goss 10 Comments

The Palm Beach-themed nail polishes in the Essie Spring 2016 nail polish collection have all the right moves for a tropical vacation, and I’m loving every shade! When I think of springtime colors, pastel shades come to mind, so I like that there are some super-saturated, unexpected colors in this six-piece release.

High Class Affair, the peachy nude, is my favorite of the collection. I love that it’s neutral but has juuust enough blush to be interesting.

I really think bright pink Lounge Lover would also be beautiful as a blush or a lipstick (Essie, are you listening?).

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The Incredible NARS Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows!

April 25th, 2016 by Adia Goss 25 Comments

nars under cover dual intensity eyeshadows — I’m still in love with the packaging…

Have you seen the four new Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in the NARS Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection yet? They are incredible! I REALLY love the finish, because the shimmer is so soft, and they’re so crazy pigmented, that the fact that they’re also versatile and can be worn wet or dry is icing on the cake. You can use a fluffy brush to get just a wash of color, or you can dampen your brush and layer the colors to get more intensity.

Starting with Topless, a light seashell pink — I’m glad NARS included it, because it balances nicely with the bolder colors in the collection.

As for rich neutral brown Tan Lines, it’s neither too warm nor bronzey, but it doesn’t turn gray either, so I think it’s a great eyeshadow color, especially if you’re looking for a rich brown. The shimmer keeps it from being too plain.

And then there’s shimmering teal green Deep End — gorgeous! It reminds me of the waters off a tropical island! I mean, it’s not a color that I tend to wear…but it’s so beautiful.

Lastly, Pool Shark. It’s an iridescent blue with lots of purple shimmer, and it looks mostly blue in the pan, but as you can see in the pictures below, there’s also a lot of purple in it. It’s a really unique color, and I think you can get it to look more blue or purple, depending on how you wear it. I love colors like this because they always look a little different when you wear them!

Here’s a closer look at these stunning eyeshadows:

NARS under cover collection dual-intensity eyeshadows — Swatches of the Summer 2016 Under Cover NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows (L to R): Topless, Tan Lines, Deep End and Pool Shark (taken with flash)

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The NARS Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection Dual-Intensity Blushes

April 22nd, 2016 by Adia Goss 26 Comments

NARS Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection Blushes — This packaging makes me so happy!

As part of the NARS Summer 2016 Under Cover collection, NARS released two Dual-Intensity Blushes — Sexual Content and Liberation ($45 each) — and they are, in a word, gorgeous! I love how NARS collections are always wearable but never boring.

The NARS Dual-Intensity Blushes have a very pigmented, soft formula that can be used wet or dry. When used dry, they’re softly luminous, but if you use them with a dampened brush, the shine is more intense.

These two blush duos are incredibly versatile and would work for a wide range of skin tones, and I love that both of the colors in each duo can work layered or alone.

NARS under cover blushes — NARS Dual Intensity Blushes in Liberation (L) and Sexual Content (R)

Sexual Content has a soft peach on the left and a medium pink on the right, and both shades are so pretty! I think the left color would be a great everyday blush for lighter skin tones and a nice sheen/highlighter for darker skin tones. The color on the right is even more universal. The swatches below are with a heavy hand so that you can really see the color, but these can just as easily be applied lightly for a wash of shimmery color.

Liberation has a cool-toned baby pink on the left and a warm rosy/terracota shade on the right. I think the shade on the right is very unique and gives a lovely natural flush. On lighter skin tones, it may also work as a bronzer. Either way, both shades are super pretty and wearable.

nars under cover blush — NARS Liberation Dual-Intensity Blush

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NARS Finally Makes Liquid Lipsticks…and Nails It!! Introducing the NARS Lip Covers From the Under Cover Summer 2016 Collection

April 22nd, 2016 by Adia Goss 39 Comments

NARS under cover collection — How gorgeous is the packaging for the NARS Under Cover summer 2016 collection?

I am about the new NARS Under Cover summer 2016 collection and the brand’s first foray into the liquid lipstick market.

Their new Lip Covers are incredible! They’re vibrant and long-lasting like a liquid lipstick, but with none of the dryness and discomfort, so basically exactly what you’d expect from NARS.

I have to admit that I am totally biased when it comes to NARS (here’s another post with my favorite NARS products), but even so, I really do feel these are awesome.

The Under Cover summer 2016 collection includes four of these new Lip Covers, four Dual Intensity Eye Shadows (I LOVE this formula!) and two Dual Intensity Blushes. This post is all about the Lip Covers, but stay tuned for reviews of everything else. For now, I’ll just say that the whole collection is gorgeous. If anything looks irresistably interesting, snatch it up! The collection is limited edition, and the products are available now at the NARS website (and coming soon to other retailers).

So, the Lip Covers — Do Not Disturb, Get Dirty, Members Only and Overheated — I really like this formula, and I hope they add more colors in the future (fingers crossed!).

I think the shades NARS chose to release with the collection are pretty interesting. There are two nude shades (Get Dirty and Overheated) and two red shades (Do Not Disturb and Members Only).

On the one hand, I appreciate that they’re giving us two variations on each color family, especially since it’s so hard to find a good nude, but on the other hand, I want even more variety, because the formula is that great.

Here are swatches of the Lip Covers, and I did these with a heavier hand so that you could see the texture and finish.

They look glossy in the pics, but once they dry down on your lips (which takes just a couple minutes), the finish looks more satin than glossy.

NARS Under Cover — Swatches of the NARS Lip Covers (L to R) in Do Not Disturb, Get Dirty, Members Only and Overheated

And here’s another shot with different lighting:

I think orangey red Do Not Disturb looks very similar to Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquid Lipstick in Orange Shot (which I reviewed a couple weeks ago).

Wearing Do Not Disturb from the NARS Under Cover collection. — Wearing NARS Do Not Disturb from the NARS Under Cover summer 2016 collection

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The 5 Lip Liners You Need in Your Makeup Stash

April 21st, 2016 by Adia Goss 18 Comments

To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of lip liners… I don’t use them on most days because it feels like an unnecessary step, but that being said, there are a few shades that I DO wear every so often and think are absolute necessities.

Here are my five favorite must-have lip liners. What are yours?

MAC Boldly Bare. I think everyone should have a peachy-nude lip liner. We all know that nude lipstick can be tough to pull off sometimes, so having a liner that can be a nice base, or help shape the lips, is major. I like Boldly Bare because it warms up nudes that are too cool (avoiding the dreaded dead lips look). Plus, it looks really good under a sheer gloss. It’s available at MAC Cosmeticsfor $16.50 .
NYX Chocolate. This Chocolate shade is very close to my natural lip color, so I like to wear it under more pigmented glosses to make them last longer. It also works under darker lipsticks when I want to make sure the outline of my lips is neat and clean, and it’s only $3.50 at Ulta!
MAC Cork. This is like in the brown skin girl’s makeup hall of fame! I swear, every MAC makeup artist has tried to sell this to me (and I’ve caved and bought it more than once!). But, it’s popular because it just works. A darker brown liner, it’s perfect for deepening other lip colors without drastically changing their hue. It’s also perfect for the ’90s brown lip trend! It’s available at MAC Cosmetics for $16.50.
MAC Lasting Sensation. This is sort of a wildcard because it’s a bright coral color, but I actually love it as a matte lipstick. Since it’s a lip pencil, it’s easier to get a neat and precise application. And I love that it lasts all day. It’s def a summer staple for me (I featured it in my Beach Inspired Makeup Post). It’s also available at MAC Cosmetics for $16.50 .
Boots No. 7 Precision Lip Pencil in Red. Red lips are gorgeous, but for me they’re kind of tricky. I almost always use a red lip liner when I’m wearing red lipstick because it helps keep the lipstick on my lips and not all over my face. Bonus points for this being a twist-up pencil that doesn’t need a sharpener (because I can NEVER find one when I need it). You can find it at Target for $9. And for help finding something to wear it with, here are my favorite red lipsticks.

* Honorable Mention: MAC Nightmoth. Just like with red lipstick, deep vampy colors are high maintenance. This is my go-to for when I want dark and dramatic lips. Another MAC classic.

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