Makeup

The Classic, Now in a Value Size: Limited Edition Value-Sized NARS Orgasm Blush

June 3rd, 2016 by Anna Oh 10 Comments

So…#whatmakesyoublush?

For me? Spicy food, walking around on a cold day, and a little swirl of this Limited Edition Value-Sized NARS Orgasm Blush ($39, 0.28-oz).

I can’t open a magazine without seeing pictures of this iconic pinky peach blush in a shoot or reading an inspiring woman casually mention that it’s one of her go-to’s. I think it has to be one of the most famous blushes in the world.

And now it’s SUPERSIZED. This limited edition $39 value size has the same amount of product as a full-sized 0.28-oz. NARS Bronzer (compared to a regular 0.16-oz. $30 NARS Blush, which is about 40% smaller).

Why Orgasm? Because it’s a chameleon…

NARS Orgasm is sort of like a chameleon, and if you don’t already have one (or more) pans in your collection, it’s a classic. It can be subtle or dramatic; warm or cool. I’ve tried Orgasm dupes in the past, but most of them run peachier/pinker/darker/more metallic, and none of them hit the mark like NARS Orgasm does (hmm…).

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The Disney Minnie Beauty By Sephora Collection: Gorgeous Gold and Black Packaging Makes Minnie a Luxe Lass

May 31st, 2016 by Adia Goss 13 Comments

I’m not even a huge Minnie fan!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Disneyland, and the Disney movies from the early 1990s are seriously a part of my soul, but I’ve just never been one to collect Disney paraphernalia.

My goodness, though, the limited edition Disney Minnie Beauty By Sephora Collection is blowing me away. Now I want to start hoarding all things Minnie.

I’ve been playing with the Minnie’s World in Color Eyeshadow Palette ($45), Minnie’s Black & White Felt Eyeliner Duo ($20), Reflection of Minnie Compact Mirror ($26), Brush up on Glamour – Minnie’s Beauty Tools ($58), Minnie’s Inner Glow Luminizing Blush ($22) and the Perfect Red Lipstick ($15) this month, and I have to say that I’ve been so impressed, both with the quality of the products and, of course, the super cute packaging.

Minnie’s World in Color Eyeshadow Palette comes in a sturdy black clutch with gold polka dots, and both the mirror and the eyeshadows are removable, making the clutch totally usable!

There are 20 eyeshadows of varying sizes, and I like the arrangement, like how the middle of the palette has the larger sized eyeshadows in more neutral colors, while the outer rows have smaller sizes for the bolder colors.

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Which Too Faced La Matte Color Drenched Lipstick Is Right for You?

May 30th, 2016 by Anna Oh 13 Comments

Never shy of a great matte lip, I leaped on these new $22 Too Faced La Matte Color Drenched Lipsticks the first chance I got.

Too Faced recommends warming them up against your lips before applying them, and I positively agree with them on that. Amazingly enough, the initially dry texture, doesn’t actually dry your actual lips. In fact, my favorite thing about the formula is how little product actually sits on your lips. The texture’s very thin and comfortable.

Too Faced introduced 10 shades of La Matte Color Drenched Lipstick, and here are pics and swatches!

The new Too Faced La Matte Color Drenched Lipsticks: Swatches

too faced la matte when in doubt — When In Doubt

When In Doubt is described as a matte cool beige, and it has a lovely subtle pink tinge to it.

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Say “Bye Bye Pores” With It Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakthroughs

May 27th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 16 Comments

Sometimes I just want to be a poreless alien babe… A couple weeks ago I was at a drag show, and a queen named Kylie Minono was passing shots of vodka to the people seated behind me. She apologized for reaching over me and told me that vodka can sink into your pores. “But wait, do you even have any? Girl, what do you use and where can I get it?”

Well, you can get it at Ulta! It’s a $29 pressed translucent powder aptly named Bye Bye Pores (which you’ve probably heard of by now) from It Cosmetics.

_MG_2527_web — See? Exactly. You can’t because there’s nothing there. I’m wearing NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Terre Nueve as my base.

Let’s backtrack for a second.

I don’t have large pores, but they can get clogged pretty easily, so I try to let my skin breathe as much as I can. Luckily, I’m a workaholic who barely has time for breakfast, let alone fierce wings before work. I wish I did, but I also like sleep.

When I have dry patches, healing spots, or just want the smoothest finish possible, I reach for a silicone-based primer. If I’m getting ready during the day, I reach for Murad’s Invisiblur Perfecting Shield. It stands out to me because it’s a primer with SPF 30. Since I can’t step outside without sun protection, it’s a godsend. While I wear it on light makeup days too, I usually wear it all on its own. I like that it offers protection without making me look shiny. I also love products that let you know exactly how much you have left, because running out of a staple without even knowing it was close to empty is not a great way to start the day.

_MG_3164_web — Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 / PA+++ (1oz) $65

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Allow Me to Introduce Matt(e) Hughes! theBalm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick

May 27th, 2016 by Jen Clark 11 Comments

Meet Matt(e) Hughes.

He’s attractive, feels good on the lips, smells like Thin Mint cookies (LITERALLY, to the tee!), and sticks around even when you sloppily pound down a massive Big Mac and fries!

Let’s ignore the fact that I just made two food references in the first sentence of this post and get to know Matt(e) a little better…

The Balm has come out with these $17 Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick, and I’m a huge fan. They’re extremely comfortable and don’t feel drying at all, which is so rare when it comes to matte lip products. The formula actually reminds me a bit of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cremes.

When applied they’re quite liquid-y and can even bleed a little, so I would use them with a lip liner to prevent that.

Compared to matte liquid lipsticks from brands like Anastasia and Colourpop before, these are quite different. While those formulas remain full-on GLUED to your lips, which some people like, but some people also hate, these can be easily removed and don’t feel so…claustrophobic. In turn, that does mean that they aren’t quite as bulletproof of some of the other liquid lipsticks out there.

Once they dry down to their matte finish, though, they do stay put.

Here’s the kiss test…

As you can see, they aren’t completely budge-proof, but they are long wearing! (Side note: Why couldn’t I make kiss marks that looked that cute and not like the squid tentacle prints I made when I was busy sending almost every boy in my 5th grade class a “Do you like me? Check yes or no” note?)

I love the color selection too. There’s mostly everything you need, aside from possibly a purple, but I don’t think a lot of people will really miss that though.

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Urban Decay Is Back in Wonderland With the 2016 Alice Through the Looking Glass Collection

May 27th, 2016 by Anna Oh 12 Comments

“I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different from yours.”
~ Lewis Carroll

Those are some inspiring words, and they’re words that UD also uses to describe the new limited edition $60 Alice Through the Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette and $18 Lipsticks, sequels to Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows. With an emphasis on individuality and embracing the things that make us different, this collection is for the beauty risk-takers!

The Alice Through The Looking Glass Eyeshadow Palette ($60)

urban decay alice in wonderland — The gorgeous, intricate box hides the slide-out eyeshadow palette

Even with the neon kaleidoscope eyeshadow colors, I didn’t find the palette difficult to wear. I’ve heard some mixed reviews about the shadow formula, and that’s open to interpretation, but I will say that the best-performing eyeshadows also happen to be the ones that matter the most. I think it says a lot about the palette’s wearability that I was able to come up with an Alice-themed look on my first try!

There are enough smokier neutrals, along with a trio of terrific matte blending shades, to bring harmony to the bright and quirky shades.

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Dear Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation: It’s Not Me, It’s You.

May 26th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 32 Comments

Dear Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation,

I really wanted to love you. I really tried to make it work, but today I realized I have to let you go.

When we first entered each other’s lives, I had stars in my eyes. I’d heard what everyone had to say about you, and they were nothing but great things. So I grabbed my favorite buffing brush as of late and got to work.

Oh, my god. I couldn’t believe it — you were so easy to blend, to build, and your finish was so even and just… perfect. I’ve never seen myself with so few freckles, but then again, I don’t generally go for fuller coverage foundations like you.

_MG_3162_web — Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer ($27)

As I went on with the rest of my makeup, I kept remarking at how amazing my base looked. It seemed like we were quite a match, but there’s something you should know… I don’t really fall easily, or ever at all. I can’t help but anticipate disaster.

_MG_3102_web — “This photograph is my proof. There was that afternoon, when things were still good between us.” – Duane Michals

While we seemed to be compatible on so many levels, you were a few shades too dark for me from the get-go. Love can require some sacrifice, and I understood that.

So we went out into the world together, and I was feeling like a total boss.

Eventually, the dream started to fade and reality began to set in. A few hours after we left, I looked in the mirror, and you separated across my skin the way oil beads up around water. It didn’t help that you weren’t quite my shade, which just exacerbated the visibility of our impending separation.

_MG_3155_web — Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in 5 Breeze compared to Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y205 Alabaster

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The Orange Beauty Edit

May 25th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 25 Comments

Orange Beauty Products — A few of my favorite orange beauty products

I LUUURVE orange.

To me it is such a mood- and energy-boosting color… It makes me think of a summer sunset on the beach, when the sun is an orange ball of fire and everything looks magically better in its warm light.

Since orange-toned makeup is my favorite to wear at this time of the year, today I thought I’d tell you about some of my favorite products in this fun, energetic hue, including a couple of non-makeup extras.

Let’s dive right in!

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame ($52)

Tom Ford Lip Color Matte Flame Swatch — Wearing the Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame on my lips, the MADINA Prisma Blush in 03 on my cheeks, and the Essie Nail Polish in Fifth Avenue on my nails

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this lipstick. I don’t know if it’s because it’s called ‘Flame’ (apparently, I have a thing for makeup products whose names evoke fire or places in North Africa… – don’t ask), or because I got it last time I visited my favorite city in the world (AKA the City by the Bay), or because of its perfect point of red-orange that I like to wear no matter the season or time of the day… All I know is that I love it with my heart and soul, and if I had to keep only one lipstick out of my entire collection (oh gawd, the thought of giving up all my lipsticks but one is beyond horrifying… Why did I even go there?!), it would most likely be this one.

The Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame is the lipstick I chose to ring in my third decade on this planet, and it remained pretty much intact through an Italian-style BBQ, two desserts and numerous toasts.

Despite having a bomb staying power, it’s very comfortable on the lips and doesn’t dry them out…

Did I mention that I LOVE it?

Maybelline Color Sensational The Creamy Mattes in Craving Coral ($7.99)

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