Mac Lipstick Swatches

Best in Beauty 2015

Eye Makeup:

• Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (best palette)
• L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows (best single shadows)
• CoverGirl Brow&Eye Makers (for brows)
• Tarte Skinny SmolderEyes Eyeliners
• Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eye Primer

Summertime Makeup, Sorted.

   

Badger Balm Lip Tint & Shimmer in Garnet

Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush Audacious Plum & Sensuous Rose

I've had these blushes for years but for some reason never got around to swatching them on this blog! They are great quality blushes and beautiful flattering colors, they are expensive but I think worth it.

Sensuous Rose is a terracotta with a very subtle pink/coral undertone. I got this to replace my old favorite blush for a good 15+ years, CoverGirl Iced Cappucino. They are very similar except the CoverGirl has a sheen to it, different smell, and parabens. I also prefer that the estee lauder version is in a bigger pan which makes it easier to get your whole blush brush into, and that it is more pigmented.

Audacious Plum is a purple/pink mid tone plum color, on me it leans more pink then it looks in the pan. But still has a cool toned mauve-y-ness to it. My olive skin tone tends to warm up all blushes however so it may not happen on you if you are more pink toned naturally.

Take me away ; and this is what I'll bring. (travel makeup bag ; the inside)

When you have a more extensive makeup collection, it can be hard to stay focused on what's most important. I really enjoyed the challenge of putting together my best face. One product from each category. My true favorites. To know as long as I have these, I'm good. That's peace. Freedom. Or as it is commonly called in the beauty world, My HG face.

• Kiehl's BB Cream - Fair
• L'Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter/Concealer Pen
• L'Oreal True Match Powder W1
• VS Makeup Bronzer (discontinued, my next favorite is too faced sun bunny)
• Milani - Delizioso Pink Blush
• Wet N Wild - Reserve Your Cabana Bronzer(highlighter)
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Anti Aging
• L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow - Amber Rush
• CoverGirl Brow & Eye Makers - Black (brows)
• MAC False Lashes Mascara (my new favorite)
• Tarte Skinny SmolderEyes Black
• Buxom Lip Cream - Mudslide

Top 5 Spring : Beauty

•  BareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 The Alter Ego : Wicked : This yellow toned lime green is fresh and bright for spring while also being more subtle and wearable than some brights!

• Buxom Full On Lip Polish : Julie : Such a beautiful bright and cheerful Pink! But because it is sheer it is also very easy to wear while still brightening up the face! Very even application, and buxom lip glosses are my favorite thing to put on my lips! They hydrate, plump, and feel amazing!

• L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow : Amber Rush : Rose Gold metallic beauty! Amazing pigmentation, very flattering color, brightening, neutral enough to wear daily but still something a little extra special about it! Can't get enough of it! 

• OPI Dim Sum Plum : This is the 2nd year of this being my favorite springtime nail polish. There is something so flattering about it when it's on, there's enough color to not look washed out, but it's still bright enough to be springy, while at the same time neutral enough to be completely ladylike! It's the perfect spring polish (especially for toes!)

• Milani Baked Blush : Delizioso Pink : This product has such a nice formula for a drugstore product, better than some high end blushes! Delizioso Pink is a slightly cool toned bright cheerful pop of color for a fresh spring face! As someone with olive toned skin, cool pinks are a must if I don't want it to turn coral/orange. This one does the job of staying pink and bright!

Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation : First Impression Application & Review

Did a video demo of the new Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation in the shade Golden Light. If you don't want to watch it in action, my final thoughts are that it is definitely not for dry skin. It did cling to dry patches, and felt like it was sucking moisture out of my face. Not good for the dry sensitive skin types! I had a suspicion that might happen based the amount of talc in the ingredients, but that cocoa powder goodness had my hopes up that it would be an exception to the rule. Sorry to say this one is being returned. It does smell great though! But in the future I'll be getting my sent fix from the chocolate soliel bronzer only!

Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder - 10 Porcelain

I recently picked up the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder in 10 Porcelain, to have as a keep in my purse and give me some coverage on no makeup days, product. First I purchased it in 15 Ivory and looked like an Oompa Loompa, very orange fake tanned! However that is on rather pale skin, it may look normal on actually tanned people. I will agree with other reviews that this line does run dark. Porcelain is a light beige. It is not white for the truly colorless porcelain crowd. It is slightly darker than my skin tone (on my face, not hand) but I think it blends ok and works alright. It does feel sort of heavy, and suffocating, like other drugstore powders, but it is not the worst I've used in that regard. I don't think it looks as cheap as the milani or covergirl powders applied to the face. I am comparing the weight to the laura mercier mineral powder, so that is a high standard, but even though it looks more natural than any other drugstore powder I've used, it's not as silky and weightless as Laura Mercier. I gives light coverage, maybe medium if you really pack it on. It will not replace a concealer. I can still see my freckles. As a dryer skin person I also prefer to spray this with some Mario Badecsu Facial Spray.UPDATE: I love this powder for setting foundation so much more than on its own. It is sadly still too dark for me, and when trying it with more dewy foundations/bb creams I've noticed it does not control shine very well. But it does give a beautiful finish to the skin when used OVER something else.

Below are photos taken in direct and indrect sunlight, with the product on one half of my face only.

What's in My Makeup bag?

The older I've gotten the less makeup products I find myself carrying around with me in my bag. However there are a few things I still enjoy having on hand. Sunscreen for being in more direct sunlight than origianlly planning on that day. Some brightening and enhancing reliable lip products. Hand cream that absorbs quickly because it's never more of a pain to have greasy hands than while out in public! A couple different types of scents doesn't hurt either in case I'm just not in the mood for one of them.

1.Dior Addict Lip Reviver Balm

2.Menchie's Lip Balm in Pink Lemonaid

3.Buxom Pink Lady Lip gloss

4.Trader Joe's Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream

5.Burt's Bees Baby Bee Sunscreen

6.Target Dollar bin Mirror/Brush

7.Travelo with Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria

8.Kate Spade Live Colorfully sample

L'Oreal Miss Magenta 185 Colour Riche Lipstick

L'Oreal's Miss Magenta came out last year in a new but permanent pink collection. It has a typical L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick consistency and pigmentation. Creamy, not drying, very pigmented, the only down side for some if the floral perfume type scent. I have since purchasing this realized their lipsticks do contain phlalates so I personally do not intend to buy more from the line (at least until they remove this ingredient.) But if you are not an ingredient junkie and don't mind the scent it is a very nice lipstick. It is a very bright slightly warm leaning pink. I think it looks a bit brighter in person than in the photos, but I'm not sure if it's quite a neon. Take a look.

 On Left with flash / Right No flash, inderect sunlight

 Swatched next to Sonia Kashuk Sunkissed (Miss Magenta is the pinker shade)

Best of Beauty 2013 : Top 13

Happy New Year!! 

Here is my list of my Top 13 Beauty Products of 2013:

(see a list of all products under the video)

1. CoverGirl Outlast Foundation
2. Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter
3. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
4. Urban Decay Anti-Age Eye Primer
5. Too Faced Chocolate Soliel Bronzer
6. Buxom Lip Gloss
7. Tarte Skinny SmolderEyes Intense Eyeliners
8. Sephora by OPI S-Age is just a number
9. Trader Joe's Spa Face Wash with Tea Tree Oil
10. Arcona Magic White Ice
11. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream
12. Clear Men's Strong and Full Shampoo
13. BlushingPixie Blushing Pixie's YouTube Channel    

  Makeup I'm wearing in this video:
________

Face-
CoverGirl Outlast Foundation in 810
Victoria's Secret Bronzer in Heat Wave
Estee Lauder Blush in Audascious Plum
Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Eyes:
Tarte Skinny Smolder Eyes Intense in Gold
Too Faced - 525 Market
BareMinerals - 500 Thread Count
Lancome Definicils Mascara

Lips:
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Darling

Nails:
Victoria's Secret - I'm No Angel  

 

Lipstick swatches galore!

Left Row - Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu.

Middle row going down - CoverGirl Lip Perfection in Penelope Pink, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Darling, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Smitten, L'oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Miss Magenta, Sonia Kashuk Sunkissed, Estee Lauder Spiced Coral, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic, L'oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Spiced Cider.

Right Row - Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Pink, Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Baby.

 

Wearing Estee Lauder Spiced Coral

Wearing Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lipcolor in Sunkissed

Wearing Revlon ColorStay LipLiner in Red with Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm stain in Romantic over top

Maybelline Color Tattoo - Inked in Pink

Maybelline color tattoo in Inked in Pink is one of my favorite color tattoos, it is a very wearable metallic pink that is soft enough to not look garish. It has a nice satiny finish, wears very well with no creasing on me for about 8 hours, and is a great base.

Above in direct sunlight.

Below on me with Milani Rich Java Baked Shadow in crease.

Tarte Skinny Smoldereyes Intense - Gold, Bronze, Plum

This is the Tarte Skinny Smoldereyes Intense Trio from Qvc.com. Currently these shades are only available on qvc. This is also suppose to be a more intensified version with more pigment than the original skinny smoldereyes. These swatched extremely easily, high pigmentation and opacity, the swatches photographed below are only one swipe. I think they are absolutely beautiful and a wonderful way to celebrate the coming fall! I know I will be wearing them to the pumpkin patch this year!

  L to R: Gold, Plum, Bronze (Gold is more of an antique gold metallic, plum has a lot of burgundy in it and a little bit of glitter, Bronze is a metallic warm milk chocolate brown with a small amount of glitter.)

Gold, Plum, Bronze

Below wearing Plum, it has a beautiful copper glitter and a small amount of gold and purple glitter. It's very fine glitter that lends beautifuly to the fall feel of these liners.

 They wore very well, no smudging at all.

Wearing CoverGirl Outlast Foundation in Shade 825 Buff Beige.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu

Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu on Lips - It is a beautiful natural pink with subtle very fine gold shimmer. Not too much to look too obvious just enough to give a little golden glow. Formula is my favorite for lipsticks, very moisturizing, I do prefer it over the Dior Addict line myself.

Hand Swatches From L to R: Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Lipsticks in 'Tiramisu' Crystal Pink' 'Crystal Baby'. Estee Lauder Signature 'Spiced Coral'