First Look| First of the Year Haulabration

I've given some thoughts to doing a "best of 2013" post, but my current routine has been repeated so often that it would just bore you to hear about the same things over and over again. However, I did have a life changing revelation on New Year's Eve...

My UD Naked palette, purchased two years ago by a very naive and makeup-noob me....was fake.

I don't mean really, obviously, terribly fake. It was passable and while I sometimes had my doubts (like how its Half-baked was horrendous in comparison to my Naked 2 purchased at Sephora), I really enjoyed using it.

I hustled over to Sephora on the first day of the year and picked up a few things in order to tweak my routine. Unfortunately, Naked 1 was sold out. Then I went to Macy's begrudgingly and grabbed one.

The Urban Decay Naked palette ($52 retail) has already been beaten to death by a cudgel over the years, and you probably own it, so I won't say any more. I am a little miffed at the price increase, but these palettes are expensive and popular for a reason. I've been loving the darker colors like Smog and Darkhorse for a lovely day time smokey eye.

YSL Babydoll mascara ($30 retail) is expensive, I'll give you that. To me, it's like the steroid version of L'oreal Telescopic (long, fluttery lashes) without smudging, clumping, smearing, or flaking into my poor contacts and effectively blinding me for the entire day. I had a sample, loved it, and decided to invest. It does very well over a lash primer and under any basic volumizing mascara. The drier formulation also means it holds a curl beautifully.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation in Rattan ($36 retail) is a more realistic shade match for me. I had originally purchased Sand, but it was more for NC25 me which shall nevermore exist under LA sun. Rattan is VERY yellow without any peach tones, making it perfect for any NC30 girl struggling to find a match. Also, I found that the perfect way to apply is with a Beauty Blender rather than a synthetic brush, which can make it bunch and gather in dry spots around my nose. 

And paired over Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone ($41 retail), my skin is hyper-flawless. As in, no dark spots/redness and glowing skin for 12 straight hours. The one I picked up had SPF 25 and is touted as a moisturizer if you wanted it to be, but I try not to apply all over the face. Instead, I pat a tiny amount (DO NOT pump liberally) on my cheek area and temples, and then swipe a smidge on my nose bridge. For some reason, it's a joy to work with unlike MAC Strobe liquid, which I found smelly and strange in consistency.

Finally, I picked up MAC's Prolongwear Concealer in NW20 ($18 retail) to find out what the fuss is all about. I think I need to use a more sparing hand because while it does brighten and last, it also emphasized fine lines... that don't exist. 

Overall, not a bad way to start the new year. I'm glad 2013 is over and ready to take on new challenges for 2014! 

XO, Be

First Look| High End Complexion and Palette Haulabration

As a shopaholic, it takes a certain self-awareness to know your own demons. After receiving a job offer, I couldn't help but to celebrate with a haul. When I'm sad, I usually head to the mall. When I'm happy, I usually head to the mall and come back with a long receipt and the guilt of ten mass murderers.

As the weather is now definitely cold, harsh, rainy, windy, and generally gloomy, I wanted something to perk up my complexion. In specific, I wanted to add a glow without a bronze, if that makes sense. Enter Guerlain Meteorites in Teint Dore ($58 retail), charmingly known as Ballz to the makeup blog world. These add a very subtle hint of radiance to my skin and works as a finishing powder. 

For a base, I decided to bite the bullet and finally try out the infamous Estee Lauder Double Wear in Sand 1W2 ($36 retail). It's been a week of constant use, and I really enjoy the formula. It's a medium coverage foundation that glides on effortlessly and is indeed long-wearing as it claims. Its also a natural finish rather than a dreaded matte as I was expecting. 

And of course, for skincare, I got my hands on REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Mask ($55 retail). It smells and feels like marmalade, but it tightened my pores and got rid of flakes in just one use. It's also a complete b*tch to take off, but they give you a handy muslin for that purpose.

You can find my first look and review of the Laura Mercier Artist Palette for Eyes in the post below. I also picked up another Lancome Cils Booster, because this shiz is the shiz. It's doing work on my lashes, especially in the length deparment. I will do a review of the YSL Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry shadow palette in #9 ($55 retail) in another post since I have loads to rant about that one. I'll also be posting an in depth review of the Stila In the Light palette ($39 retail) for you in the upcoming week. 

Oh, and I shamefully made VIB Rouge. Tsk tsk.

Work has been great, I think I would enjoy it more if I wasn't working on the holiday weekend after Thanksgiving. Oh well, c'est la vie. 

XO, Be

Haul| Sephora VIB Sale (Guerlain, Bulgari, Dolce and Gabbana, Hourglass, YSL, etc)

This is the culmination of my shame. And guess what? My Guerlain Meteorites hasn't even arrived!

While I shell out here and there for mid-range items throughout the year, Sephora's VIB sale presented itself as an opportunity to haul massively overpriced and high end items. Why not? 20% off really counts when the item is over 50 bucks, and you best believe others thought the same. I had a little help from a few gift cards and store credit cards. Also, I made VIB Rouge status (so shameful) and won't be buying until next January when the hype around Naked 3 has died down.

 I went in stores for my first batch and the store was swarming with women buying Christmas gifts early and others grabbing limited edition items like it was a Walmart food aisle during a zombie apocalypse. It was embarrassing, and I partook in it, snatching the last Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette and hurriedly stuffing it into my cart. I do regret not buying the Laura Mercier's Artist Palette for 2013, but that's another sob story involving my complete undecided-ness and lack of passion for purple.

Warning, this post is heavily heavy with heavy swatches and pictures. 

I picked up the last Bulgari Jasmin Noir EDP for her and Dolce and Gabbana The One cologne for him. Lovely for the upcoming winter, as both smell musky and work well fireside and cuddling.

Next, I hauled Koh Gen Do Aqua foundation in OC-2 (perfect for NC25-NC30), a full sized Hourglass No.28 Serum primer (not pictured, but I do have the sample), D&G Blush in Tan, and an Illamasqua Blush Brush for contouring.

From left to right: NARS Gypsy, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Violet Incognito, and UD Revolution in Native.

Sorry for the blurry picture, I wanted to zoom in some more.

Under natural lighting. It's rather overcast at the moment.

Under fluorescent lighting. 

Below, the amazingly overpriced Guerlain Ecrin Couleurs in Les Fumes, Shiseido eyelash curler, and Lancome Cils Booster XL lash booster.

The first four are swatches of the Les Fumes. The color on the outer right is D&G blush in Tan.

And finally, the piece de resistance, the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette and single in Ethereal Light.

From left to right: Ethereal, Radiant, Incandescent, and Dim Light. All under unflattering fluorescent lighting.

Another view. Notice how Ethereal looks rather pale and matte, perfect for a setting powder. These are built up at 3 passes.

 That's all for today, I want to do a very in depth review for most of the individual items in my haul, because I happened to pick up a lot of great finds. I'm very impressed with a lot of the things in my find, especially since they have to live up to the expectation of their pricetags. I'm expecting Guerlain Meteorites in Teint Beige this Monday, and that will be another post for you to see. It's pretty exciting to own so many shiny, sparkly, velvet wrapped things with a brand name like Guerlain!

 I'm also looking to do a review of the Vice 2 palette, if that horse hasn't already been beaten to death with a blunt cudgel. Have a lovely day!

Be

Collection| High End Foundations (YSL, Armani, Chanel)

There are a few "cult" high end foundation  names that are always in the gossip cloud of beauty bloggers. Touche Eclat this, Luminous Silk that, Vitalumiere Aqua everywhere. The problem is, while these foundations do indeed sound magical, life-changing, beautiful, and perfect in every swatch, every way, and on every face... they are expensive as Hades. It's hard to justify perfect skin if it comes at the price of groceries for a week.

My collection of the three today are from pure fortunate swaps (well, I did splurge on the YSL.) These foundations are deemed to be the Holy Trinity of all foundations. All three promise a dewy, lightweight and skin-like finish for dry skin. They all have a slight yellow undertone that complements me, can be built very easily, and never air out dirty laundry like flakes, dry spots, or cakey tendencies. For me, all three have very interchangeable results on the skin but deliver as promised. With good luck, I seem to have a foundation for every shade of the season.

The first, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat in B30 ($55) is the right match for my current NC25 tone. It's the most yellow out of BD10 (too light), BD40 (still too neutral), and B40 (completely beige and leans a tad pink.) This one is more of a medium coverage, so shade match is a must. It has SPF 19. It is also the most heavily fragranced. The result is very dewy (borderline wet) if you do not set with a powder. It lasts for 8 hours resolutely. 

The second, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #4 ($58) is around an NC20, and looks deceptively pale in the bottle. Like YSL, the bottle is a luxe glass that will live on my vanity if only for display purposes. The finish is satin with a sheer to light coverage and makes the skin look almost creamy. It has no SPF. This is the foundation used on set of Downton Abbey. You may notice that every lady looks like she has flawless skin sans makeup. 

Finally, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 Desert ($45) is my go-to shade for NC30. It has SPF15. It comes in a rather unassuming plastic square bottle that needs to be shaken vigorously before application. The coverage and finish is rather similar to Luminous Silk, but just a tad lighter. This one definitely looks like skin, meaning that it sometimes can't cover red spots without the help of another coat or concealer and can fade faster than the others. I'd also like it if it had more yellow tones. I don't notice any strong scents with this one. 

From left to right: YSL, Armani, Chanel swatches indoors under indirect lighting. 

This is under direct sunlight (my skylight). You can see that they all thankfully have yellow undertones. It's really hard to justify the prices otherwise. 

 With all three, it feels a little painful to use at all, but two pumps is usually more than enough to batter the entire face and neck. Surprisingly, I reserve these for every day usage because they look so natural and radiant, especially for the winter. With concealer, anything is possible for a night out, but I still prefer a fuller coverage like NARS Sheer Glow or MUFE HD. To be honest, MAC's or MUFE's Face and Body will yield you a similar result, if not a little less radiant. 

It seems a bit ridiculous to spend money on a foundation that isn't full coverage and full force, but these do their job of creating "perfect skin" better than "perfect makeup" on the face. They are undetectable on the skin, and we like to keep things nice and secretive in the spendy country club, don't we? Out of all three, my favorite is YSL for its moisturizing feeling that could translate to pore-suffocating in the summer. For now, my dry skin welcomes it the most.
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There's no reason and rhyme for you to run out and try one or all of them, but they are beautiful and you may have a hard time going back to drugstore if your skin is relatively clear and normal. I don't recommend them at all for oily skin or anyone with acne scarring or severe hyper-pigmentation. 

That's all for today, have a great Halloweeeeen!

Be

Collection and Haul| Fall Essentials

Ah, fall. The time for mattes, berries, and vampy makeup to saturate the blogging world and make every post several berry lipstick collection videos a day. Here are a few of my picks for this fall season. L.A. has a very mild autumn that I'm in love with! It's not searing through my bones cold like NorCal, or wet and rainy like San Diego. Instead, there's a gloom over the skies that makes the temperature colder rather than too windy, wet, or freezing. Nice.

I did pick up several new things in time for the fall as my punchy bright lipsticks, blushes (also read: bronzers), and perfumes have gone back into their cryogenic chambers until next year. Darker, moodier, and sparklier colors are coming out to play. Also gone is the mattifying powder, as my skin is going back to its dry tendencies.

Lipsticks: My berry lip picks are a little different and hardly mentioned. YSL's Rouge Volupte in #12 Forbidden Burgundy ($34.00) is the nouveau riche pick for opaque, head turning color without the harlot label. Also, Thanksgiving is a time of eating, not lipstick touch ups! Maybelline's 410 Blissful Berry ($7.98) is a sheer one that won't be requiring any touchups since it leaves your lips with a stain all day. 

Eyeshadows: I hauled three new eyeshadow singles just for fall! My first eyeshadow pick for fall would be Maybelline's Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk ($6.99). I was originally never drawn to this color but decided that for the color months, perhaps a garnet on the eyes wouldn't be too harsh. It's a very creamy formula that leans almost toward a cool brown/taupe rather than full on red or purple entirely. 

Another two that are great are L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadow in 997 Eternal Sunshine and 556 Smoldering Plum ($7.98). The formulation is AMAZING and so buttery soft. While not as opaque as UD's Half Baked, Eternal Sunshine is great as an inner corner highlight as a soft gold that isn't yellow. Smoldering Plum does need some expertise to work into the crease, as a muddy/dark/sparkly eye is never attractive. 

From top to bottom: Smoldering Plum, Pomegranate Punk, Blissful Berry, Forbidden Burgundy, Eternal Sunshine, Warm Soul, MSFN Medium.

Blush: I've tucked away my bright Tarte blushes and peaches for now and hauled MAC's Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul ($25.00) for the colder months. With such bold eye and lip looks, it's better to pull the attention away from blush. I still want something that adds color but doesn't draw attention. With just a touch of glimmer, Warm Soul is a winner in my book for any season. 

Powder: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium ($35.00) has replaced my Rimmel Stay Matte for the colder months. I no longer need oil control, and this powder (while rather ashy as a swatch) gives a great sheen and brightens my face while it sets my liquid foundation.

Perfume: It's time to break out the maneater perfumes with heavy white florals and warm musks lingering on the low neckline of your slinky black dress. I'm a huge fan of oriental perfumes in the winter (and night-time), and Dior's Hypnotic Poison ($75 for 1.7 oz) always does the trick. Sephora says its notes are "Bitter Almond, Caraway Spice, Sambac Jasmine, Cinnamon, Tuberose, Vanilla, Musk, Mosses, Jucarunda Wood." I say, not sure what "jucarunda root" is, but it sure smells like root beer upon first splash. I love root beer, so that's not a problem. After a few minutes it mellows down into a very sexy scent perfect for holiday office parties. It's not overwhelming, but more than one spritz is asking for trouble since it lasts so long on the skin.

That's all for tonight, hope you enjoyed seeing my fall star players. I'll probably be the girl rockin' crazy vampy lips even to the grocery store, but I feel bashful with dark eyeshadows. Holiday season isn't quite here yet, but once winter comes, you'll definitely be seeing my dark reds come out to play. 

Have a great weekend!

Be

Favorites | September 2013

Oh my gosh, it completely slipped my mind that September is over! I've been on a mini-vacay with the husband for this past week and haven't been on the computer 24/7. Speaking of ideal husband situations, he got me the new Vice 2 palette! I would do swatches but it hurts just looking at it. I told him that I would get a lot of usage out of it and "it would last for 10 decades", but I honestly just want to encase it in bulletproof glass and only purvey from the outside. 

September weather in the OC has been temperamental. My nose is beginning to flake from the drier weather, and with cooler temperatures comes the return of full fledged makeup. I'm talking medium to full coverage foundation, dolly cheeks, and long lashes since my hair is short (I recently gave myself an undercut, but that's another horror story) and my clothes are modest. Take a look at my favorites for the past month.

From left to right: Covergirl Outlast 3 in 1 foundation in 832 Nude Beige, Urban Decay Lip Primer, Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer in 002, Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Sandstorm, Benefit Watt's Up sample, NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, TheBalm's FratBoy blush, Benefit's Gimme Brow in Medium/Dark, NYX Cream shadow in Suede , NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee, YSL's Rouge Volupte Nude Beige 001, L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara

Covergirl Outlast 3 in 1 foundation in 832 Nude Beige is like Revlon Colorstay's better looking sister. It's a very full coverage and long lasting foundation that will photoshop your face upon contact into flawlessness with no tell-tale caking. The only downside is the lack of strong yellow tones, and 832 is rather pale on me at the moment. The next yellow toned color is 842 Medium Beige, which is much too dark now that my tan is faded. I have to use a bronzer on the perimeter of my face, but this foundation is comparable to MAC's Studio Fix at a fraction of the price. 

Urban Decay Lip Primer is my new holy grail lip product. I have a review on the blog already, but it makes even the most dull and sheer lipsticks come to life and gain much opacity without drying out my lips. I put MAC's Sunny Seoul on top and it was much brighter and opaque than I was used to!

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer in 002 is a recent drugstore find that has encouraged me to use primer before foundation on a daily basis. For summer, a primer seems to suffocate my skin. In the wintertime however, this primer seems to provide a much smoother surface and blurs away any pores or expression lines on my face. The 002 shade is clear and doesn't feel particularly "silicone-y" and sets any base product I put on for the entire day. It isn't hydrating, but pairs well with any moisturizer underneath. I can also smear it onto my lids if I'm feeling too lazy for a separate eyeshadow primer. 

Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Sandstorm sets any makeup perfectly without imparting color and kept my T-zone mattified all day in the hot days of September. I dropped it the other day (mind you, I had been using for 6 months and hadn't even made a dent) and had to run out to the drugstore to pick up more. It's only 3 bucks and does an even better job than my MAC Studio Fix powder. Amazing drugstore product. 

Benefit Watt's Up sample is the perfect size for my everyday makeup bin, and its smaller bullet means I can glide it directly onto my cheekbones. It's absolutely beautiful and natural. 

NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder is a new item I received in a swap, and it's the best setting powder for undereye concealer (I've been experimenting with the Kardashian triangle of light) and gives my face a very healthy glow with no sheen or glimmer. It's really lovely for dry skinned gals who want a glow but still want their foundation to last. 

TheBalm's FratBoy blush has been my go-to blush for everyday looks. It has a tiny bit of sheen and gives my cheeks a healthy look, and I always get compliments from the husband when I wear it. Something about it is very understated and works with every type of makeup look, but it also stands out in its own way. The packaging is also adorable.

Benefit's Gimme Brow in Medium/Dark, in conjunction with my Anastasia Brow Wiz in ebony, has become my holy grail brow routine. My brows have never looked more defined yet natural and they last all day.  

NYX Cream shadow in Suede, another daily favorite, acts as a base and primer in one and is a lovely metallic sheen of gold that isn't overpowering or unnatural. I use it with a light wash of matte brown in the crease and outer V along with some black eyeliner and it completes an eye look. 

NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee is a nude gloss that's very moisturizing and thick without being sticky. It's nude, but won't wash out your lips and layers well with any lip look. It acts as a moisturizing balm in my book when I can't find a true lip balm. 

YSL's Rouge Volupte Nude Beige 001 is the high end equivalent of MAC's Creme Cup and is much more moisturizing while maintaining a high level of opacity. I love it with a simple cat-eye. Often I will put on Creme Cup in the morning and touch up with YSL. 

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara is the product of my drugstore mascara vice. I love the packaging, and I've been meaning to try out some volumizing mascaras for that thick, almost spidery lashes look for winter. It really does thicken up my sad lashes, but I can't say much for its lengthening abilities. I like layering it over Definicils or another tubing mascara. 

That's all for my September items, and I've been using most of them into October. I love a full face of makeup for colder months, and now it seems like every YT tutorial is for plum/burgundy/dark lips. As much as I love the trend, I'm more excited to try the other fall trends out there, like a light grey wash of color on the lids and matte skin with no blush. So tell me, are you one to go for makeup trends or do you think trends are best left for fashion? Let me know :)

Be

Quick Blab | Burgundy Lip Trend for Fall 2013

It seems like the trend for fall and winter of 2013 is once again dark red and wine stained lips. Aka oxblood. Aka Burgundy. Aka Goth red. I just wanted to hear from all of my subbies/stalkers/readers/flagrant strangers:

[polldaddy poll=7318183]

Please leave a comment with a suggestion if you could. I am currently in possession of a few dark reds and wines but don't know whether to try Revlon Wine Not, MAC's Diva, or YSL's Forbidden Burgundy next. I am also thinking of cheating and layering a dark plum over a magenta lip liner. But, if you know of any other colors or lipstick collections out there that would have the perfect burgundy for fall, let me know too!