Best of 2011 Roundup - Makeup for Face and Eyes

Hello, This will be a fast and furious run down on my favorite makeup for face and eyes in 2011.  I tried to shorten the lists as much as possible, but there were too many products that I have enjoyed in the past year.  This is the condensed version, here we go:

Face

From left to right:


1)  Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA+++ - I like the high SPF protection and it feels comfortable on the skin.  The only gripe I have with this product is the high price and the scent could use some improvement.  It has a chemical or plastic scent to me


2)  Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super + Beblesh Balm - I already raved about this product in a previous post here.  This was purchased at Sune in San Francisco


3)  Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Illuminator SPF 25+ in Pearl - It is a white pearl color illuminator that will give a beautiful sheen to fair skin tones.  I mix it with tinted moisturizer or foundation and it also works great as a highlighter alone


4)  Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer in 20 Sun Glow - This shade is not on the website, I do not know if it has been discontinued.  I love the mousse texture and the bronze color.  It is the perfect bronze color that looks natural, no orange tan here.  It is easy to blend and the color is buildable


5)  Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick in 05 Natural - Oh, how I love thee!  This is my favorite stick foundation to date because of the formula and the color match.  This one is actually good for my dry skin and gives me a dewy look.  It does not look masky like some other stick foundations out there.  I am a big fan of stick foundations because of the coverage, portability, and it can double as a concealer too


6)  Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder - This is a beautiful loose powder that will give the skin a soft focus look with micro pearly shimmers.  See more information in my previous post here


Eyes

From left to right:


1)  Korres Eyeliner Pencil - I bought a set of these a while back.  They are eyeliner pencils made of cedar wood and the colors are very pigmented.  They are creamy and long lasting


2)  YSL Dessin Du Regard Eye Pencil in 001 Velvet Black  - The name for this product is currently different on the Sephora website, the picture looks like the pencil I own though.  The color is very intense and  it is super long lasting even on my oily lids


3)  Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in 02 Black/Brown - I like the small bristle brush, it is the perfect  applicator for my eyes that are smaller


4)  Benefit Stay Don't Stray - I am on my second bottle.  This is a really good primer for eyeshadow and concealer.  The eyeshadow will not budge or crease if you use this underneath.  It works well as an under eye concealer for me because it does not accentuate the fine lines I have and the nude shade works for my skin tone to conceal dark circles.  It comes in one universal shade


5)  Hourglass Film Noir Lash Lacquer - This is a genius product!  It is a top coat that boosts the color and volume of your lashes


6)  Ombres Perlees De Chanel Eyeshadow Palette - This is one of my most favorite eyeshadow palettes in 2011.  All the colors are wearable.  The texture is user friendly, you can apply the colors with the applicators or with your fingers.  This is not available at the stores anymore, but you could probably find it online

7)  MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season - I enjoy most MAC Mineralize products and this is no exception.  See more information in my previous post here


And a honorable mention to my last favorite eye product and it is...


8)  Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in 82 Emerveille - Again, the cream/powder texture is amazing and the light golden nude color is foolproof.  You can't go wrong wearing this gorgeous color alone or mix it up with other colors

Hope you enjoyed this post.  I get so excited sharing all of these wonderful products with you here.  One more Best of 2011 Roundup post coming up...Until next post......

The Top 4 Tag

Hello, I was tagged by Hayley from The Flaxen Owl to do the Top 4 Tag.  She has a blog about her experience switching to natural products and she just started her own YouTube channel.  She has the most amazing skin, check her out!  The Top 4 Tag is to show your top 4 makeup items from your collection.  It is extremely difficult to choose just four, so I have chosen four items that I would use on a daily basis and these are also items that I would definitely repurchase over and over again.
And I tag all of you to do this tag, it would be very interesting to read all of your picks.  Here are my Top 4:

1)  BB Creams - My all time favorites are Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream and Skin 79 VIP Gold Collection Super + Beblesh Balm.  I did a brief review on these BB Creams here

2)  Black Eyeliner - YSL Dessin Du Regard Eye Pencil in 001 Velvet Black is intense and long lasting

3)  Voluminous Mascara -  YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking Mascara in No. 5 Black Burgundy.  To me, YSL makes the best color mascaras.  The burgundy color in this mascara is actually quite subtle because the focus is more on black.  You can pick up the burgundy color under certain lighting.  The brush and formula help create the look of false lashes without the hassle.  I also picked up this mascara in two other colors in Deep Black and Black Bronze when Nordstrom's had a sale on mascaras.  I am not sure if this is a limited edition item, I sure hope not!

Via Google images

4)  Tinted Lip Balm - I reviewed the Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms here.  They are my most favorite tinted lip balms

Thanks for reading!  Until next post......

Current Favorite BB Creams

Hello, There are so many BB creams on the market and I have tried many of the popular brands.  The brands that came to mind are Hanskin, Dr. G, Kose, Dr. Jart, Lioele, Skin79, etc...  I do like BB cream over tinted moisturizer mainly because they have better coverage and they offer more skincare benefits such as anti-aging, sun protection, and whitening.  My current favorites are Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream and Skin 79 VIP Gold Collection Super + Beblesh Balm.

L - Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream
R- Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm

Both BB creams have really good medium coverage.  I like the color of Lioele better because it is more beige compared to Skin79 which has a grayish tint.  The grayish tint goes away once the cream is blended out on the skin and it actually looks quite natural.  Even though the Lioele color is a good match for me, it is more matte and can look flat on the skin at first. The dewiness is apparent on my skin after a couple of hours.  Skin79 also gives a pretty and dewy finish.  It seems that Skin79 claims to have more skincare benefits such as whitening, UV protection, and wrinkle improvement.   Lioele does not contain UV protection, so I always use a sunscreen underneath it.

My search for the perfect BB cream will continue.  The latest acquisition is The Face Shop HD-Perfect BB Cream in Natural Beige, I might review it once I get a chance to use it for a while.  

Do you have a HG BB cream?  Until next post......

Best of November Roundup - Skin Care, Makeup, Hair (Travel Edition)

Hello, When I travel, I pack essential products that are almost used up from home and lots of samples for ease of packing.  Below are some of the star products that I used everyday during my trip in the month of November:

Skin Care

1)  Sisley Cleansing Milk with White Lily
2)  Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes (used up, not pictured)
3)  Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA+++ Anti-Glycation Primer
4)  Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream (used up, not pictured)


Makeup

1)  Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super Beblesh Balm
2)  Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
3)  Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm 100 - I decided that this powder foundation might be better for combination/oily skins.  It was a bit too drying for my skin especially in cold weather
4)  Chanel Le Crayon Sourcils Precision Brow Definer in Soft Brown
5)  YSL Dessin Du Regard Eye Pencil in 001 Velvet Black
6)  YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking Mascara in No. 5 Black Burgundy
7)  Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in 02 Black/Brown
8)  Trish McEvoy Little Black Card in Delicate Beauty
9)  Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus
10)  Dolce & Gabbana Passion Duo Gloss Fusion Lipstick in 30 Delight



Hair

1)  Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum

I also discovered some good products from the samples that I used such as Sponge Ladi Avokanto.  I was so impressed that I picked up a full size bottle when I came back home.

If there are any products from this post that you would like me to review, please comment below and I will do my best to do so.  Thanks for reading.  Until next post......