All About Brows

Hello,  I am lucky to have born with full brows.  But as time passes with over plucking and tweezing, I am left with some miniscule bald spots.  For the most part, I can live without filling in my brows.  But there are times when I want to achieve a more polished and youthful look, having fuller brows to frame the face is key. 

Image via Google

Image via Google

Image via Google

Image via Google

I mostly rely on brow pencils over the years.  Occasionally, I also like using brow powder or eyeshadow because it creates a natural look that is not as harsh looking as you would get from pencils.  Therefore with pencils, I prefer to use ones that have a powdery finish to achieve a softer look.  I have been using three different brow pencils lately and they are all great in their own little ways...

Same order in both pictures:

Top - Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in 002 Hazel - Warmest brown out of the three pencils.  Great for brunettes with warm or golden highlights or redheads

Middle - Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in 02 Taupe - Cool grayish brown.  I blogged about it here last year.  The flat slanted tip is the best.  This sculptor is also the most water resistant

Bottom - MAC Veluxe Brow Liner in Brunette - Neutral brown that leans warm.  This is the softest and has the most powdery finish out of the three

From drugstore to high-end, I currently love all three.  They all come with a brush on one end for blending.  Have you tried these brow pencils?  What is your HG brow product?

Until next post......

Wedding Guest Makeup

Hello, I wanted to preface by saying I love weddings!  I thoroughly enjoyed planning my own wedding back in the day.  When I attend weddings, I pay attention to the details because I understand and appreciate the effort that went into creating this once in a life time event.

In September, I attended an intimate evening wedding on the first day of Fall.  As a wedding guest, I decided to go with a demure and classy makeup look with soft neutral eyes and red lips.  I wore a cobalt blue cocktail dress, so I did not want my makeup to overpower the strong color of the dress.

Face:

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup in 2CN2
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10 in Intensity 2.0
Smashbox Step-By-Step Contour Kit - also mentioned here
MAC Pro Longwear Blush in Stay Pretty
Kevin Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight
Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup Powder Foundation in 021 Linen - not pictured

Eyes:

Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - a cult classic must have!
Givenchy Magic Kohl Eye Liner Pencil in 1
Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Appia
Inglot Freedom System Eye Shadow Squares
Kevyn Aucoin The Eye Shadow Duo in #202
YSL Shocking Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils in 1

Lips:

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis A Levres Glossy Stain in 20 - also mention here

I was inspired to mix two Estee Lauder foundations together from this bridal makeup look video:


Finally some snap shots from the beautiful wedding in September:

Have a great weekend!  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......

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

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......

MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection - Six Snowglobe Eye Shadows in Warm, Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season, Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal in Practice Makes Perfect

Hello, Time flies since I picked up some makeup from the MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection.   I finally got around to trying some of the items from the collection.  As I said before, I was really drawn to the limited edition white packaging and everything about it exudes the holidays upon us.  I find that some of the colors from this collection to be repetitive and re-promos from MAC, nonetheless, there is something for everyone for the special occasions in this holiday season.  Here are some of the highlights from the items that I had picked up before:

Six Snowglobe Eye Shadows in Warm

This is a six neutral eye shadow palette that comes with a brush.  I am a sucker for neutral eye colors, I can't get enough of them.  The color that stands out for me in this palette is Gaelic Gold (Veluxe Pearl) in the bottom right in the picture above.  It goes on so smooth and the gold will make your eyes pop for the holidays.  This palette costs $38 and the other two palettes come in Cool and Sultry.  Karla Sugar did a great job with the swatches for all three palettes here.

Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season

Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season is a neutral champagne eye shadow with traces of brown, gold, and silver.  It appears to be a champagne color once all the colors are blended together.  It is pretty by itself or great to combine with the colors from the Six Snowglobe Eye Shadows in Warm.  This costs $21 and it comes in a total of six shades.

Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal in Practice Makes Perfect

Technakohl Liner Eye-Liner Kajal in Practice Makes Perfect is a mechanical eyeliner in teal blue with subtle glitters.  I often switch to blue eyeliners for a change from my day to day black eyeliner.  It costs $16 each and it comes in a total of six shades.

All of the products mentioned are still available at MAC, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and Macy's.

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

MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection Launch Event at Bloomingdale's

Hello, MAC Glitter and Ice Holiday Colour Collection launched on Friday, 10/28.  Bloomingdales's in San Francisco kicked off the launch with live entertainment with characters similar to those from the ad campaign. There is an ice skating rink set up at the entrance of Bloomingdale's along with ice skaters and bartenders dressed in white, they are skating and dancing to the DJ's music.  At first, I did not even recognize Johnny Weir, an American Olympic figure skater who appears as the male model skater in the ad campaign.  I think he is great, he is such an artistic skater.  The color of the packaging is white in this collection and the makeup colors are so pretty.  The event at Bloomingdale's in San Francisco is held during the weekend before Halloween from 10/28 through 10/30.  There are extra MAC MUAs on site for color consultation at this event.

Here are the goodies that I picked up over the weekend:

- Three Technakohl Liners in Smooth Manoeuvre (black),  Practice Makes Perfect (blue), and Fancy Moves (purple).  They all have subtle glitters in them, so pretty.
- Mineralize Eye Shadow in Snow Season (neutral champagne)
- Snowglobe  Eye Shadow palette with six colors in Warm.  The snow globe on the compact is festive and cute!
- Fabulously Festive Face Kit in Wintercool.  It came with four eye shadows, one powder blush, one lipglass, one Cremesheen lipstick, and 3 small brushes with glitter handles.

I look forward to trying out everything soon.  I do not purchase from every MAC collection;  I just love the limited edition white packaging from this collection and can't help myself.  Check out this collection, the line is festive and perfect for the holidays.

Via Google images

Via Google images

Via Google images

What did you pick up from this collection?  Until next post......