First Look| the NEW Make Up For Ever Water Blend Foundation

I recently picked up a sample of Make Up For Ever's newest reformulation: the Water Blend Foundation ($43) to replace the very popular Face and Body. I've used through bottles of the old stuff even though #32 was much peachier than my liking. Now, there's a much larger shade range of 20 and the formula doesn't smell like chloroform. 

First Look| Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer in R30

Have you seen the hype on the new MUFE Ultra HD Concealers ($27)? I'm sure everyone who's anyone and their mom received the full collection for review. 

As I am only a lowly plebe, I picked up R30 for review. There are 10 total shades in R (for correcting peach and pink tones) and Y (for yellow brightening tones). I believe these are meant to be under-eye concealers that can be used on blemishes as well. You should be careful when picking out your shade, as these concealers actually cater to very fair skin. Their light-medium colors are truly light colors in any other line. I picked R30 for my NC20-25 winter skin, but R32 is much more orange and perfect for me at NC25-35. 

I did purchase Y23, but it was much too light for a "light-medium" shade and seemed to match NC15-20 skintones. I mean, it was HELLA brightening, but I also looked like a reverse raccoon in the mirror. Y31 seems to be much darker and more olive (around NC27-32!)

Much less is more with this concealer which offers a tidy squeeze tip. One dot is perfect for both eyes...seriously. 

Here's the shade on my hand which is around NC25-30. It seems light and pink, but looks more neutral-peach on my skin. 

To recap for those who can't believe the hype: it's real. The packaging is sanitary and compact. You have a great range of colors that can correct, conceal, or highlight. The formula is ultra lightweight (comparable to the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealers) but with more coverage (think NARS RCC) which makes it a match in heaven for those with creases/fine lines AND discoloration to conceal. They also don't set immediately, so you have some time to layer or set your concealer with a powder if needed. If you're wary of the tiny tube size, just know that a little goes a very long way. 

As for the wear? Phenomenal. I noticed minimal creasing (because, let's be real, I have fine lines under the eyes that won't plump up no matter how much sleep I get) and absolutely no fading under the eyes. However, I wouldn't say that this is tacky enough for blemishes and hyper-pigmentation on the face unless you set it down well. I always dot the excess on my chin, and with my slovenly eating habits, any base products will slide right off after a meal.

If you're in the market for a brilliant under-eye concealer that doesn't look heavy and cakey or lacking in opacity...this is it!

xo Be

Review| MUFE Step 1 Skin Equalizer in Smoothing

I had been using the Smashbox Pore Minimizing primer for months and didn't bat an eyelash towards Make Up For Ever's release of primers to correct skin tone and textural issues. After all, my dry skin doesn't really need primer to grab onto base products and I like finding an exact (or very close) match for my foundations.

For a truly in depth and useful blog review that spurred my curiousity, click here. This gal's before/after shot of her nose with this primer blew me away.

HOWEVER, the Sephora travel section got me (again...) and I picked up their Step 1 Skin Equalizer primer in Smoothing. The travel size is $16 compared to $36.  It's half of the size and less than half of the price...and the cute little packaging is TDF.

I've since been gifted another travel size and purchased a full size for later...because it's that good.

The Smoothing version promises to help with fine lines and large pores. I like using half of a pea sized amount on my nose, sides of my nose, and laugh lines. It visibly reduces the appearance of texture without feeling heavy and plays well with foundation. The Smashbox version is also great, don't get me wrong, but it can ball up if I apply too much in one area. Another pro: it has a tiny nozzle dispenser on a squeeze tube so that you can't go crazy and squirt out too much at one time.

I haven't noticed clogged pores with this primer. I can't say that it prolongs the wear-time of my foundations, but anything I put on top of it glides on well without the product feeling heavy in silicones. My laugh lines and fine lines are also "blurred" with this on. I also notice that the sides of my nose doesn't look as oily as the day goes on, but I wouldn't go as far to say that this controls oil. (In fact, they have a mattifying version which I hear works wonders on truly oily skin.)

TLDR: It's $16 bucks and worth a try. One tube has been lasting me more than 3 months with near daily usage.

Review| Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion in 15L

I hold opinions from certain people in high regards, and a fellow makeup lover suggested that I check out the Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion ($36) line. 

It's a waterproof (!!?) gel-powder bronzer that comes in 6 shades and two finishes: matte and luminous. Be forewarned that all six lean warm and I don't believe any of them to be appropriate for true contouring. 

I picked up 15L, the lightest of the bunch, because I like my bronzers to be subtle. My skin should look like "Oh this? It's natural...from my expeditions in Bali." and never "Oh this? I hope you can see the powder residue on my face this fine day."

From my in store swatches, it appears as if both the L and M finishes are glowy and satin finish rather than truly stripper-sparkly and bone matte. I've also heard a lot of complaints about this product lacking in pigmentation, so I want to dispel some theories. 

First, the gel-powder hybrid monstrosity of a formula requires you to use a buffing or stippling brush to apply. DO NOT USE a fluffy powder brush! Please use something dense and geared towards picking up liquid and cream products. If you see the promotional brush they're trying to shill you'll see that it's a flat top dome shaped brush that's densely packed. 

Second, blend in circular motions with your buffing brush onto the high points of your face, or the perimeter, or both if you'd like and don't be unimpressed with the pigmentation. It IS there, just very subtle and build-able. Besides, bronzer is not something you want to be heavy handed with in the first place. 

So as a pro and con: it does take time to build up on the face.

I also hear that the new Sculpting Duos released by MUFE include a dupe for 30M and two beautiful highlights. In retrospect, I should have picked the #2 duo up. Instead, I stupidly thought it was a marketing fluke and that the bronzer was meant to be used as a contour powder. 

*wahhhh* Ragrets. 

I've included swatches of: Benefit Hoola Bronzer (definitely much more red toned), Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder in Medium (a true contouring product), and MUFE in 15L. 

This is indoor, indirect natural lighting. 

This is indoor flash. 

If you're not a fan of warm toned bronzers I think it's best that you stay away. Otherwise, this new formula is mindblowingly good at creating the BEST natural tans. And yep, you won't see any tell-tale signs of a powder product on your cheek and temple. I believe 20M is the coolest out of the bunch and could *technically* be used for contouring...but don't take my word for it. 

xo Be

Review| Make Up For Ever 2014 Artist Palette

Have you seen the Make Up For Ever 2014 Artist Palette ($42) in stores and online? It's one of my favorite holiday "purchases" in a long time. (Note, I actually swapped for this...because my wallet would never forgive me if I bought this!) 

I don't need more palettes to begin with, so the decision to swap for this was a lot wiser *pats self on back* and meant no guilt from me. I was eyeing this, however, because it contains smaller sizes of the newly reformulated shadows from MUFE in a teeny tiny compact that's perfect for throwing into my work designated makeup bag. 

I mean, just look at it! It fits perfectly into my palm. I use this palette daily for work, along with my Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette. The two create a nice variety of combinations of eye looks and can easily be stored in a desk drawer.

Now, I've come to terms with my base primal instincts and those tell me I only wear neutrals and warm tones on a daily basis...so the blue and purples on the right side of the palette would be a moot point, right? WRONG! They are so beautifully complex that when blended into the outer v or smudged along the lash line my eye makeup is glam without being overdone.

Below are swatches in various lighting situations. These are one pass over bare skin. The texture of every pan is divine thanks to the new gel to powder formulation and swatches beautifully. 

Of course, I'd be a tease if I keep telling you how much I enjoy these reformulated shadows without telling you exactly why. 

1. The most buttery formulation I have ever felt with my mere mortal fingers. It feels like a gel that agrees with your fingers and every single swatch I've seen of these new shadows are perfect. At  the same time, you can easily pick it up with a flat shader or fluffy blending brush to be applied on the lids. 

2. A new industry high of 88% pigment (did I remember that correctly? Or am I just dreaming...) means extremely pigmented payoff with minimal fallout. As glittery as most of the pans look, none of them produce fallout on the lids. They're like very well pressed pigments rather than eyeshadows.

3. They are non-creasing, easily to blend, and last forever on the lids with any eye shadow primer you have on hand. The only con is the lack of true mattes in this palette and its "dupability." Otherwise, these shadows are absolutely game changing. 

If you're not quite ready to pull the trigger on the full sized pans ($21 each is quite aggravating to most...) give this palette a try first!

xo Be

Haul| Curious About MUFE Artist Shadows?

Since my cousins are leaving for UCLA at the end of the month, I had to make an obligatory shopping trip with them last weekend. I had a few things to swatch on my agenda so the trip to Sephora wasn't in vain. I ended up picking up two reformulated Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow ($21 each) and a Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 07 Dark Berry ($13). The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is a 100 point perk.

Those new Artist Shadows are no joke. They're boasted as a gel to powder formula (except for the mattes) to ensure maximum pigmentation as well as blendability. Oh yeah, they're pigmented and very creamy with no fall out. The pan size is almost twice of MAC shadows. 

These are the two colors I picked up to complete my small Z-palette of stray MUG, MAC, and Milani shadows. ME-728 is a metallic copper gold while M-726 is a lovely burnt sienna/brown.

The only thing I don't agree with is the marketing-- you can buy a single for $21 and get discounts if you buy in twos or threes to fit into their cases. There is a limited edition and VIB Rouge exclusive set of 30 shadows available currently, but I want to curate my own set. 

Samantha from Batalash Beauty made me pick up the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 07 Dark Berry ($13). It's relatively cheap and supposedly a dupe for the ever elusive Limecrime Velvetines. I'm hoping they won't dry out my lips but stay on at least through lunch.

And finally, I couldn't resist this 100 pt perk. I usually shake my head profusedly and hoard my points for a bigger set, but this little tube of Ultra Repair Cream is a whole 1 fl oz (perfect for at least a month's use on the face.) I've heard so much hype about this cream healing dry and cracked skin that I had to try it.

That's all for now, I'm resisting the urge to haul until the holiday sales roll around but it's so hard when you're already in store and swatching!

xo Be

First Look| Sephora VIB Rouge Chic Week Haul

Yeah, I said I wouldn't haul no mo. I lied.

Sephora's Chic Week is going on right now where VIB Rouge, VIB, and Beauty Insider members get 15% off their entire purchase. Of course, Clinique was doing a gift with purchase I couldn't resist, so I also picked up some items from their counter. If you're stuck on what to get during the sale, maybe some of my "extraneous shit" might do just fine or serve as inspiration to haul.

Clockwise: TOCCA Brigitte, Stila Stay All Day eyeliner in Intense Black, MUFE 130 brush, Dior Diorskin Nude Foundation in 21 and 31, Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop, Givenchy Le Rouge in Beige Plume 102, Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster, Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

TOCCA Brigitte ($68 retail)- I've been pining and lusting after this for a year but never got around to purchasing. The husband didn't like how it smelled in store, but the scent mellows out on my skin beautifully and the hint of spice and sweetness drives me crazy.

Stila Stay All Day liner in Intense Black ($20)- Backup. I don't trust drugstore liners anymore after using this. It never skips, flakes, or smudges on me. 

MUFE 130 Powder Brush ($55)- I originally saw this online and didn't go through with the purchase because I wasn't sure how it would perform. I needed a powder brush that would let me set my liquid foundation with a powder (duh) but wasn't too loosely or densely packed. When you feel it in person, you'll understand why I ignored the price tag. It's nicely packed and super super ultra frickin omg SOFT. 

Dior Diorskin Nude Foundation ($49)- I went into Macy's to return my Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation (emphasized my dry patches and flakes) and sat down at the Dior counter to get color matched for the Nude Foundation. I wanted something medium coverage with a satin-dewy finish and this fits the bill. I even went back into Sephora to pick up shade 21 for the winter!

Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop ($21)- I figured since Ginger Pop was selling out like crazy it was one to try out. It's a very lovely sun-tan color on my skin, if that makes sense. Sort of similar to "I just spent an hour in the sun without sunscreen, whoops" but prettier. 

Givenchy Le Rouge in Beige Plume 102 ($36)- Though its supposed to be a matte formula, this one had more slip and felt more moisturizing than I expected. The color is halfway between a nude and a MLBB shade on me.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster ($48)- A lot of YTers have been liking this, and I'm not sure if I trust them to be non-sponsored, but this stuff does sound promising. I'm looking to try out the best Vit C serums and get rid of (or at least fade) my broken capillaries and dark spots. 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($26)- Finally, I revisited an old favorite moisturizer of mine. Growing up in San Jose I had very dry to normal skin that did just fine with only this moisturizer every morning and night. Now that I am more SPF conscious, this lotion will probably stay a night thang. I also like it for touching up (is that weird?) over my foundation if I find dry patches. The best part is how reasonably priced it is! 

I did go into a brick and mortar store to get swatches and samples, and the only thing I couldn't bring myself to purchase was the Urban Decay Electric palette. But really, when would I ever reach for it? Maybe one time on Halloween? I decided against it, but in the back of my mind it's still calling out to me....

What did you haul for Chic Week? 

xo Be

First Look| Year of the Haul 2014

Happy Year of the Horse! I had a great weekend full of eating, drinking, and general debauchery. Of course, I went home with zero "li xi" money....ain't nobody gonna give a grown ass working woman money for good luck.

I did, however, find the time to go shopping over the holiday weekend. And with a hangover! I give mad props to myself for even getting out of bed, much less drag myself to the mall to do some exchanges. (Shopping online for button up shirts when you're busty? Never a good idea.) I stopped inside the JCP to see if I could pick up some staples for the summer and did indeed find what I needed.

Make Up For Ever's Duo Mat Powder Foundation ($34 retail) was an out of the blue find, since I've heard rumors that it was being discontinued long ago. Like their Pro Finish powder, you can use it as a foundation with a sponge or set another product with it using a brush. Based on rave reviews claiming it sucks more oil up from the face than frying eggs after bacon, I knew I had to have it. 207 Golden Beige looked perfectly yellow under store lighting, but I quickly discovered it was a tad too dark for my current skintone (more for NC40.) It's nbd, since I'm not too oily now.

I also picked up another Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Ro(cocoa) ($25 retail) since I love the formulation and want an alternative to black when tightlining all around the eyes. Needless to say, the staying power is phenomenal. The color itself seems like a drab brown but flashes metallic in the right light.

Then, I bit the bullet and committed to the full size of Benefit's They're Real mascara ($23 retail.) The trick with this one is:
 a. have already long lashes (thanks to Latisse, not mom)
b. use a sweeping motion rather than wiggling the wand and
c. layer the second coat almost immediately after the first and curl. 

It makes my lashes pack a punch without being crunchy, flakey, or clumpy. I especially love it for my bottom lashes as well. The best part is that it's not waterproof even though it holds up so well during the day, so you can remove it with ease.I'm hoping it won't dry out on me too quickly, as the formula is on the drier side.

As for me, summer is practically here, so a new bronzer was a "must have." Enter Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil bronzer ($30 retail).  Yup, the chocolate scent didn't win me over the first time I purchased Milk Chocolate, but this time the scent is much lighter and the medium/deep color will work for NC35. I gave my first Soleil to my mom to help her contour since these have no shimmer or glitter. The powder kicks slightly, but I use the least dense brush I have when working with this one.

Speaking of Too Faced, their La Crème lipsticks ($22 retail) have converted me! I picked up Taffy (pink marshmallow nude) and Juicy Melons (pink coral) this time to be Muji drawer buddies with my current Spice Spice Baby (pinky brown MLBB). The formulation is the least drying I have ever tried (and dare I say moisturizing) and doesn't feather or smudge. The color collection is also very cute yet professional, making these perfect for work.

As for the Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Wear Makeup ($49 retail) and Bare Minerals Matte Foundation ($27 retail), watch out for separate reviews coming later. I actually purchased these two online a few weeks ago rather than in person. They are both contending to be the top spot for my summer base routine, and I want to see how they both perform over a week to have a resolute opinion.

I'm coming down with the flu (again...) so I may be MIA for the weekend, but I will work on getting a FOTD/review/application up for the Diorskin foundation. Keep your eyes peeled!

XO, Be