Best of 2012 Roundup - Makeup

Hello, Happy New Year!  I sorted through many makeup products and I have summed up the most amazing short list of products of 2012...

Base

Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup was launched in Fall 2012.  It is by far my current favorite and the best foundation from Giorgio Armani cosmetics.  The new Fusion Technology covers imperfections flawlessly with only a thin layer.  It never looks heavy or feel cakey.  My color is 4.5 and it blends beautifully with my skin tone!  Thumbs up!

I have heard about Eve Pearl for over a year before I made my first purchase at IMATS in Los Angeles last year.  I do not why I waited so long, I should have made the plunge earlier.  I got a good price on this palette at IMATS;  I paid $40 less than the regular price.  The Eve Pearl Flawless Face Palette contains all the products you need to perfect your canvas.  The flat palette is great for travel.  The kit includes: 2 Cream Foundation Shades (Light 1, Light 2), 2 Cream Concealers (Fair, Light), 1 Cream Blush (Rosy), 1 Mattifier, 1 Illuminator.  I highly recommend this palette if you have drier skin and want to give Eve Pearl a try.

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Spray Bronzing Powder Mist is my go-to spray bronzing powder for the last few years.  I like the fine mist that gives me an airbrushed and healthy glow any time of the year.  Besides this bronzer, I am a big fan of other Guerlain compact bronzers too!  Love!


Brows

When it comes to brows, I stick to brow pencil and brow gel.  When I want a super natural look, I will use brow gel alone.  Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel does it for me.  It is fantastic in adding a touch of color to the brow hairs and the gel grooms the hairs in place.  Granite is grayish taupe and it looks very natural on my black color brow hairs.  It softens up my natural brow color.

Eyes

For eyeshadows, the following brands are what I reached for the most in 2012.  They are all fabulous in texture, pigmentation, and blendability:

Inglot Freedom System for eyes

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow

Kevyn Aucoin Eye Shadow Duo

  

Blush

I tried many good blushes in 2012, but THE one that I was most impressed with was Illamasqua Powder Blush.  It might be the most pigmented and long lasting blush that I have ever tried.  I was amazed that it can last all day until I took it off.  As you know, the Illamasqua color range is always intriguing and beautiful, I am obsessed with this brand.

Lips

When it comes to lips, I had to choose my favorite texture of the year and a good drugstore find that was surprising smooth and hydrating...

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick

All in all, I was very adventurous in makeup in 2012, I was happy with many products that I got an opportunity to play with.  For the short list mentioned above, I have no doubt that I will re-purchase every single item in the future.  What were your favorites in 2012?

Thanks for looking!  Until next post......

Random Sightings of Fall 2012 Makeup Displays

Hello, I can't believe it is almost Fall.  When it comes to new makeup collections, it is time again to show you what has captured my heart.  I simply could not resist all the beautiful colors of Fall in reds, browns, and especially greens.

Maybelline

Wet n Wild Fergie Nail Color

Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour

Guerlain Fall 2012

MAC Office Hours

Kevyn Aucoin - My latest obsession!

Thanks for looking!  Until next post......

Easy Summer Gold and Copper Eyes

Hello, This eye look is inspired by the colors of summer, think golden sand on the beach and beautiful sunset over the horizon.  The focus is using gold and copper to create an easy going look that is suitable for everyday or the beach. 

Via Google images

I chose a combination of high end and drug store products that I have been loving for this look.

Cream Base - Benefit Creaseless Cream Eye Shadow in Honey Bunny (discontinued), a neutral flesh tone.  MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre is very similar in color and finish, it works just as well.  Before cream base, you can use a primer of your choice to help with creasing and longevity of the shadows applied later. I have been loving Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (not pictured)

Eye Shadows - 1) Lid  - Loreal 24HR Infallible Eye Shadow in 997 Eternal Sunshine, gold shimmer 

                              2) Crease and outer corner - Wet N Wild Eye Shadow in 255B Penny, copper shimmer 


Eye Liner - Guerlain Terracotta Khol Kajal in 01 Black Frida


Mascara - Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes in 620 Carbon Black


Concealer - Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller in Sheer Tint

Swatches of products from above picture in same order, but skipping the mascara

Which eye makeup products are you loving this summer?   Have a great summer!


Until next post......

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci 'Terra Azzurra' Summer 2012 Sneak Peek

Via Nordstrom.com

Hello, Guerlain by Emilio Pucci 'Terra Azzurra' Summer 2012 is Guerlain's latest makeup collection.  I played with the colors at Bloomingdale's a few days ago.  I was in awe of Guerlain's quality as usual and fell hard for the packaging.  The Pucci blue and green print on the packaging and pouch is gorgeous and it just works for Guerlain's summer makeup collection.  In terms of colors, tangerine or coral, pink, blue are colors you can expect to see a lot of this summer.   

Going in, I knew I wanted to replenish the Meteorites Powder, so Pearls d'Azur Illuminating Powder was at the top of my list to get.  The Meteorites Powder has a huge following.  I have used the original in Teint Rose 01 in the past and enjoyed the soft focus look from it.  The old packaging I had before was made out of card board, but this collection offers it in a dark blue tin with a Pucci print lid.  I had to take advantage of the lovely limited edition packaging.  Imagine how nice it would look sitting on the vanity table!

For those who are not familiar with the Meteorites Powder, this is a brief description for this particular powder from the web:  

Multicolored little pearls are adopting their summer wardrobe. Encased in Emilio Pucci–adorned packaging, they are enriched with a corrective blue pearl to create a flawless complexion. Formulated like the classic Meteorites Pearls, the Pearls d'Azur beautifully adapts to the demands of the sun by combining six colors that even out and correct every skin tone.

Featuring blue and pink to counter the yellow tones in tired complexions for a corrective effect, beige and orange to warm up the complexion and create an even tan for an evening effect and ivory and white-gold light reflectors for an illuminating effect.

The second item I was drawn to was the Powder Bronzer and Blush, housed in a jumbo sized wood compact that is quite heavy and not really practical for carrying in your bag or traveling.  The compact is made from two separate pieces of wood which fit and close together by small magnetic rivets.  One piece contains the mirror while the other piece contains the bronzer and blush.  The colors of the bronzer and blushes are magnificent, you can fake the perfect summer tan by swirling the bronzer and blush colors together or use them individually.  It can be a bit dark on lighter skin tones.  Guerlain makes the best bronzers, I am a fan of Guerlain 'Terracotta' Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in No. 3 Brunettes.

Lastly, the SA introduced me to Terracotta - Terra Inca Khôl Kajal in 01 Black Frida.  This color is not from the summer collection.  Indigo blue is the new color in the summer collection.  The SA told me this is wonderful and safe for tight lining and can be used on the water line.  I have not used the traditional Middle Eastern or Indian kohl eyeliner before, I am not sure how this one compares to those.  This one seems very easy to use though.

I purchased everything from Bloomingdale's, but everything in the post has been linked to the Nordstrom website because the Bloomingdale's website has not been updated with the new collection yet.  Once I get to try all the products, I may review and do swatches in due course. In the meantime, there are some awesome pictures of swatches from this collection at naturalNchic makeup blog.  Go check it out!

Have a nice weekend!  Thanks for reading.

Until next post......

Guerlain Angelique Noire Eau de Parfum

Hello, Some of my all time favorite fragrances are from the House of Guerlain.  Guerlain has created many iconic fragrances in the past 170 years.  Angelique Noire is part of the collection of L'Art et la Matiere.  It is a high end collection of fragrances launched by Guerlain in 2005, Angelique Noire is the third fragrance in the series created by Daniela Roche-Andrier.

While shopping for a new fragrance at Neiman Marcus last year, I spent a good hour sniffing many of the scents on display.  I did not have any specific notes or scents in mind that day, so I was very open to trying everything.  With most scents, I did the smell test over and over again and passed.  But with Angelique Noire, it got me at first sniff!  At first spray on my skin, I detected green, floral, and vanilla.  The combination was unique and appealed to my senses and mood.  It starts out with a punch and rather strong at first, but it dries down nicely to a delicate creamy and powdery scent.  The glass bottle is sleek and has beautiful gold plating with engraving on one side.  It comes with a regular spray head, an atomizer head, and a cap for travelling.  It is available in one size, 75 ml or 2.5 fl oz..

According to the Neiman Marcus website, the notes include angelica, bergamot, vanilla, benzoin, pink pepper, coriander, patchouli, and white musk.

I only wear this fragrance on special occasions.  This is definitely an evening scent and perfect for a romantic night out.

Choosing the right fragrance is very personal, I am glad I found Angelique Noire.  What is your favorite fragrance?  

Until next post......

Random Sightings of Spring 2012 Makeup Displays

Hello, Here we are still in winter, but the Spring 2012 Makeup Collections have already made their way to the stores.  Whether it is soft pastel, neon, or earthy tones, the scene got me very excited about the arrival of Spring in the not too distant future.  I already picked up some goodies from Burberry, Dior, Estee Lauder, Loreal, and Rimmel London to name a few (the Rimmel collections are new in the US, but they were released in Europe in 2011).  I will review many of these products in due course.  In the meantime, here are some iPhone snap shots of a few of my favorite collections for Spring 2012.

Have you checked out any of the Spring 2012 Collections yet?  Until next post......

Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick Collection

Rimmel London Glam' Eyes HD Shadows

Estee Lauder Topaz New Pure Color Spring 2012

Burberry Spring/Summer 2012

Guerlain "The Pinks and the Blacks" Collection Spring 2012

MAC Naturally

Dior "Garden Party" Spring Collection