Mac Quite Cute Overview and Tutorial with Swatches

I was not super excited about the Mac Quite Cute Collection which released last Thursday, April 7th. However, I did manage to find a few items to add to my growing collection of makeup. I started with the star of the entire collection Mac's Candy Yum Yum, a matte bright cool pink lipstick. At first I was not extremely crazy about the lipstick, but once I put a clear gloss over it, my mind quickly changed. I didn't think the lipstick was that special until I arrived back at my apartment and realized I had nothing quite like Mac's Candy Yum Yum! I have swatches below to show you just how unique it is! I also decided to pick up Mac's Giggly Mineralize Blush which is surprisingly pretty on my cheeks despite it's cool undertones. My last and final purchase from the Quite Cute Collection was Mac's Bodly Bare lip liner, which reminds me a lot of Half Red lip liner yet for all nude lipsticks! (How exciting since I love Mac Half Red Lip Liner and I call it "Universal Lip Liner"). Below are comparisons of Mac's Giggle Mineralize Blush with a few of my other cool tone blushes. Be sure to check out the video for a tutorial on the look as well as my thoughts on the entire Quite Cute collection. Enjoy!

Mac Candy Yum Yum, Mac Boldy Bare and Mac Giggly

Mac Candy Yum Yum, Mac Boldy Bare and Mac Giggly

Mac Candy Yum Yum, Mac Boldy Bare and Mac Giggly

Left to Right: Mac Giggly, Mac Boldy Bare, Mac Candy Yum Yum

Left to Right: Mac Briar Rose, Mac Gentle, Mac Giggly

Left to Right (All Mac): Candy Yum Yum, Something New, Petals and Peacocks, Girl About Town, Show Orchid, Candy Yum Yum

Products Used:
Face:

• Chanel Teint Innocence in Beige 40
• Mac Vibrancy Eye Primer (New)
• Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit - Natural with Pale Yellow Powder
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque
• Mac Giggly Mineralize Blush
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Eyes:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion
• Mac Naked Pigment
• Urban Decay Naked Palette - Buck
• Mac Charcoal Brown Eyeshadow
• Mac Brulé Eyeshadow
• Clinique Cream Liner in True Black
• Dior Blackout Mascara
• Make Up For Ever Lash Fibers
• Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
• Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Brunette
• Mac Prep and Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer

Lips:

• Mac Candy Yum Yum Lipstick
• NYX Fuschia Lip Liner
• YSL Golden Gloss

Kim Kardashian Inspired Face of the Day

I went to my school's annual Barrister's Ball this last Friday. This was my first Barrister's Ball and sadly my last. It was held at my city's very large aquarium which made for a lovely evening dancing among sharks, beluga whales and sting rays! Despite the famous nautical backdrop, there was no theme to the festivity so I decided to re-wear my blue dress from the Masquerade Ball I attended a few months ago. Instead of applying the same deep blue smokey eye I featured in my "Masquerade Makeup" Tutorial, I decided to go with something a bit more fun. I opted for an inspired look by Kim Kardashian. I wanted my makeup to be fun and playful since I planned on curling my hair into beachy spirals. I added a bit of purple to the eye to pull in the color of my navy dress. Below are photos of my completed look and the inspiration photo. I hope you all enjoy!

Products Used:
Face:

• Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer
• Chanel Teint Innocence in Beige 40
• Laura Mercier Pressed Mineral Powder in Rich Vanilla
• Mac Vibrancy Eye Primer
• Bobbi Brown Cream Concealer in Natural with Pale Yellow Powder
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque
• Nars Albatross (Highlight)
• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar (Cheeks)
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer (Contour)

Eyes:

• Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Brunette
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
• Urban Decay Naked Palette - Naked (lid) and Buck (crease)
• Mac Charcoal Brown Eyeshadow (Crease)
• Mac Satellite Dreams Eyeshadow (Crease)
• Benefit Bad Gal Waterpoof Liner (Lower Lash Line and Water Line)
• Clinique Cream Liner in True Black (Top Lash Line)
• Make Up For Ever Lash Fibers
• Dior Diorshow Blackout
• Sassi #503 Lashes
• Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Lips:

• NYX #816 Fuschia (All over lips)
• Mac Girl About Town
• Mac Athena's Kiss Lip Glass

Hourglass Illume - Creme to Powder Bronze Duo

Hourglass Illume - Creme to Powder Bronze Duo - My feelings???  Indifferent

I don't mind telling you, I got caught up in the sleek, shinny packaging and the great feel of this creme-to-powder bronzer when I swatched it, but didn't really think through this purchase well.  The packaging, along with the luxurious creme to powder feel had me at Hello :)  The packaging is absolutely beautiful and the way the compact swivels 360 degrees is one of the better designs I've seen.  The best way to describe the swivel aspect is to think of a nail clipper.  It operates mechanically the same way.  This swivel design allows the mirror to actually stand up (see picture below) while using it.  

The bonzer/highlighter is truly a creme-to-powder.  It feels ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL on the skin.  It goes on silky smooth and looks this way on the skin as well.

I gotta tell you though, I've been using this for several days now and honestly, while the packaging is nice and the the "feel" of the product is fabulous, both the highlighter and bronzer have to be good for me to say this is a "must buy".  The highlighter is definitely the better part of the product.  Its a pretty decent highlighter and doesn't have a real sparkled effect which I light a lot.  It's very natural looking on the skin.  It also allows for a buildable shade.  However, the bronzer is a little different story for me and this is half the product so both really need to work well.   The bronzer is really a bit too orange.  I thought maybe the bronzer just might be looking too orange for my skin tone so I tried it out on a few of my friends and I'm finding that its really not a great shade for most skin tones because of the orangish tone. 

One gripe I do have about the packaging:  Hourglass lines the bronzer and highlighter with a sheer, thin piece of protective plastic coating over it and when I initially slid the lid to the right to open it, the plastic got caught and scraped my bronzer and highlighter.  Now, it didn't destroy the product but no one wants to start off using a new make up of any kind that has a gauge in it :)  I tried to smooth over the gauges before taking the pics, but unfortunately they are still noticeable...sorry!  :)

With all this being said:  I am glad I purchased this product, because I have never bought any of the Hourglass products thus far and so I got a feel for the quality and that is definitely there.  In this particular case, I think they just need to work on the shades a bit.  I would most definitely buy another Hourglass product, potentially their foundations because the feel of this bronzer/highlighter on the skin is absolutely wonderful and so now I'm curious about their foundations.

I have to apologize for my pictures.  The packaging has such a shiny finish that I really struggled with getting a clear picture without glare.

Hourglass Illume Creme-To-Powder Bronzer Duo
Shade:  Bronze/Light
Photo Source:  Hourglass Official Site

Packaging (shiny, silky box)

Shade:  Bronze Light

Product Details:

Bronzer and highlighter and blush

Added vitamins A&E to provide moisturizing and antioxidant benefits

Oil-Fragrance, Wax-Sulfate, Phthalate and Paraben Free

Product comes in two shades:  Bronze Light and Sun Set

Cost:  $40.00

Face of the Day - Pretty and Easy Work Appropriate Makeup

I am a big fan of soft, yet wearable work makeup. Today I had a presentation at school, which to me screams "work appropriate makeup". I decided to keep it simple, yet pretty. I used a lot of neutrals and then added a bit of blue and gray to make the look a little bit more bold. Instead of opting for black eyeliner, I decided gray was a lot less harsh and went really well with my "pop of color" blue. I wanted to keep my skin natural, but pretty. I added just bronzer and a bit of color to the cheeks. For lips, I wanted just the tiniest bit of color. I opted for a pretty peachy-coral lip gloss. I hope you all enjoy!

Products Used:
Face:

• Chanel Teint Innocence in Beige 40
• Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Natural with Pale Yellow Powder
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque
• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar
• Mac Refined Golden Bronzer

Eyes:

• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
• Urban Decay Naked Palette
• Naked (Lid)
• Buck (Crease)
• Toasted (Outer V blended out)
• Virgin (Highlight)
• Mac Motorhead Eyeshadow (Outer V)
• Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Graphite Shimmer (Top Lash Liner and Bottom Lash Line)
• Make Up For Ever Lash Fibers
• Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara
• Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Lips:

• Too Faced Glamour Glass in Plush

Nail of the Day - Zoya Faye

Stop, drop and roll! I have found another one of my holy grail nail polish colors! OMG. Deborah Lippmann Bad Romance step aside, have you met Zoya's Faye? I love, love, love this nail polish color! Zoya Faye is one of the limited edition colors from Zoya's Sunshine Collection for Summer 2011. How to describe Zoya Faye - it's a purple shimmer shade with gold sparkle shot right through the lacquer for a shade that appears purple on the nails, but gold in the sunlight! AMAZING! I am telling you right now, I might have an entire week tribute to this nail polish! hahaha. Ok, not really. Buy seriously, it's so pretty and applies easily! The only con to this polish is it is a little difficult to remove due to the shimmer! Otherwise...lovely! I applied Seche Base as a basecoat, two coats of Zoya Faye and Seche Vite a top coat for this result! I cannot even begin to tell you people, this polish is incredible!

Please note - the photos taken with the flash made the polish look a bit more cranberry than it actually is. The photos without the flash are more accurate of what the polish looks like indoors. 

Zoya Faye - Two Coats with Flash

Zoya Faye - Two Coats with Flash

Zoya Faye - Two Coats NO Flash

Zoya Faye - Two Coats with Flash

Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy) Inspired Makeup

Ok, this is the most unconventional video I have made as of yet. The video posted below is not a makeup tutorial, but rather a book review, haul (I got an iPad 2), and makeup Face of the Day. I was bored/sick this last weekend and happened to lay in bed read the entire Hunger Games Trilogy. This makeup is inspired by Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old Hunger Games participant. I was inspired by a description of Katniess's makeup in the second book entitled Catching Fire. (Don't worry I won't give anything away to spoil the book for anyone)! At point during the second book, Katniss meets with her stylist named Cinna who dresses her and puts makeup on her for a public event. Katniss states with regard to her makeup: "But now my face is almost obscured by the dramatic highlights and dark shadows. High arching eyebrows, sharp cheek bones, smoldering eyes, deep purple lips."

This is my take her on her makeup pursuant to that description. Katniss is described in the book as a thin girl with dark brown hair, gray eyes and tan skin. In the book she often wears her hair back in a braid. I tried to re-create her look as close as possible. If you're looking for a great trilogy to read, then check out the Hunger Games! It's absolutely fantastic! (It will be made into a movie and released in May of 2012!) If you are interested in the plot of the trilogy, check out my video. Enjoy!

Products Used:
Face:

• Chanel Teint Innocence in Beige 40
• Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer and Pale Yellow Powder in Sand
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque
• Mac Fawntastic Cream Color Base
• Nars Albatross
• Bare Minerals Faux Tan Bronzer
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• Mac Briar Rose Beauty Powder

Eyes:

• Mac Carbon Eyeshadow (On top of Feline)
• Mac Feline Eye Kohl (All over lid)
• Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Eyeliner (Waterline)
• Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara
• Tokidoki Sabochan Liquid Eyeliner (For making smooth line)
• Sassi Lashes #62
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Baked (Inner Corner Lower Lashline)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Lucky (Outter Corner Lower Lashline)
• Laura Mercier Brow Pencil in Brunette (Eyebrows)
• Nars Albatross Highlight (Brow Bone)

Lips:

• Mac Revenge is Sweet Lipglass
• Mac Magenta Lip Liner
• Mac Violetta Lipstick

Nail of the Day - Zoya Jules

This nail polish has the remarkable ability to look like completely different colors in different lighting. This is Zoya Jules which is an antique gold with gold sparkle shot through it. It's an absolutely lovely color. I am really liking Zoya's new take on "sparkle" nail polish. This polish absolutely glows in the sunlight, yet is a soft and sophisticated color that could be worn by both the young and more mature. This color is opaque after two coats and applies like most Zoya polishes - quick and easy! It's such a lovely color and I highly recommend it for anybody who loves neutrals, but wants something with a little bit of wow. I applied Seche Base as a base coat, two coats of Zoya Jules and one coat of Seche Vite as a top coat. I have indicated below which photos are taken with the flash and without. Enjoy!

Zoya Jules Two Coats with Flash

Zoya Jules Two Coats with Flash

Zoya Jules - Two Coats - No Flash

Dior Addict Lipstick - You Will Be Addicted!!!

Dior Addict - You WILL Be Addicted!!!

Check out the chic design
Dior's Fashion Week, 881

Dior's Fashion Week, 881

Dior's Fashion Week, 881

I am really loving this new Dior's Addict lipstick formula that they have come out with.  The formula is designed to be hydrating and volumizing color.  I think they have mastered this.  I purchased Dior's Addict Lipstick, Fashion Week, 881.  It's a is a natural rosy pink shade.  It has a bit more color than a natural lip color, but looks very natural on.  However, if you don't like this shade, not to worry, because Dior is providing this lipstick in 44 different shades!!!  The formula is kinda  cross between a balm and a gloss, but does not have any of the stickyness that you often times find with a gloss.  I don't really know how to describe it, but it feels absolutely wonderful on the lips.  Its very light on the lips but yet manages to produce quite a bit of color as can be seen by the swatch above.  This is really nice lipstick.  It leaves your lips with almost a natural shine. 

You will also love the packaging...it's chic, sophisticated design just makes you feel like a million bucks!  It's silly, I know, but there is something out taking a chic lipstick out of your purse to apply...especially if friends are around :)

 The only draw backs I see with this lipstick is the price; its kinda pricey at $28 and it does not stay on quite as long as many of the other lipsticks I have used, BUT none of them feel quite as good on as this one does either.  Most lipsticks feel much heavier than Dior's Addict.  I promise you, I WILL be purchasing more of these.  I think it's well worth the price.

Product Details:

$28 for .12oz

44 Different Shades Available

New Dior formula designed to hydrate and volumize

Nail of the Day - Zoya Marley

I just received my Summer Collection order from Zoya so I will be posting those as soon as I get a chance to paint my nails! Until then, here is Zoya's Marley from the Spring 2011 collection. Zoya Marley is a soft purple-pink pastel color with a slight pearl shimmer. I am not a huge fan of this color, although it applies really nicely and is really a nice subtle color. My personal color preference is for brighter colors overall. Either way, if you like this color or you are looking for a good soft neutral pink, then try this one because it's easy to apply, super opaque and has a nice shimmer making it unique. If you like a bit of color, skip this one. To apply Zoya Marley, I applied Seche Base as a base coat, two coats of Zoya Marley and one coat of Seche Vite.

Zoya Marley - Two Coats with Flash

Zoya Marley - 2 Coats with Flash

Zoya Marley Two Coats - NO FLASH!