Sephora's The Joys of Fragrance Inspired Makeup with Lime Green Eyes

For this look I was really inspired by Sephora's The Joys of Fragrance Catalog. There was a model in the advertisement that featured glowing skin, bold blue eyeshadow and pink lips. When I saw the advertisement I thought to myself, "Wow. I want to do that makeup look, but with green eyeshadow!" Thus, I re-created the model's look using lime green eyeshadows. I didn't blend the lime green up as far onto the brow bone as the model in the advertisement because I wanted to make the look more wearable. Here is the result. I have attached a photo of the model as well as Sephora's The Joys of Fragrance Catalog for you to view. Sorry for the blurry photo of the model. You can check out the catalog below for a better photo! Enjoy!

P.S. I really love the new Boyfriend perfume featured in this catalog. It smells amazing! I also recently purchased Lolita Lempicka Si Lolita perfume after smelling my way through this catalog! It is so invigorating! Yay for good marketing from Sephora! :)

Inspiration Photo with Blue Eyeshadow instead of Green

The Joys of Fragrance



Products Used:
Face:

• Nars Sheer Glow in Punjab
• Make Up For Ever Uplight #12
• Illamasqua Tweak Blush
• Make Up For Ever 5 Camouflage Palette
• Chanel Tan Soleil de Chanel - Bronze Corail
• Bobbi Brown Cream Concealer in Natural with Pale Yellow Powder
• Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque

Eyes:

• Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Cotton
• Mac Shade Stick in Lucky Jade
• Urban Decay New York Palette - Kush
• Mac Swimming Eyeshadow
• Mac Brulé Eyeshadow
• Mac Humid Eyeshadow
• Mac Impeccable Brow Pencil in Taupe
• Tokidoki Sabochan Perfetto Liquid Eye Liner
• Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Liner
• Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara
• Mac Clear Brow Gel

Lips:

• NYX Pinky Lip Liner
• Dior Addict Lipstick 564 Model

Pink for Warm Skin Tones Makeup Tutorial

I really wanted to to do a tutorial using pinks for those with warm undertones. I have warm undertones and I find it very difficult to wear pink shades, so this is my take on how to make pink wearable for those with warm undertones. This look coincidentally is also a very summer trend look. The eyes are very neutral and "beachy" while the lips fit the bright colored lips that were seen on the runway this Spring! My best advice for picking the perfect pink lipstick is to look for one with yellow or gold undertones because it works best with warm skin tones. The shade I chose is a limited edition shade from Mac called Something New, however in the video I offer several alternative shades in case you didn't get your hands on Something New when it was released this past January with the Stylishly Yours Collection. I hope this is helpful and you all enjoy it!

Products Used:
Face:

• Nars Sheer Glow - Punjab
• Bobbi Brown Corrector - Light to Medium Bisque
• Bobbi Brown Concealer  - Natural with Pale Yellow Powder
• Mac Refined Golden
• Mac Cream Color Base in Virgin Isle
• Mac Luster Drops in Sun Rush

Eyes:

• Mac Rubenesque Paint Pot
• Mac Paradisco Eyeshadow
• Urban Decay Naked Palette - Buck Eyeshadow
• Mac Sushi Flower Eyeshadow
• Mac Brulé Eyeshadow
• Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof Eyeliner
• Make Up For Ever Lash Fibers
• Dior Diorshow Blackout Mascara
• Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
• Laura Mercier Brow Pencil - Brunette
• Mac Clear Brow Gel

Lips:

• Mac Something New Lipstick
• NYX 835 Pinky
• Mac Lipglass Revealing

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

NYX Blushes - these literally made me blush!!

In my quest to find makeup products in convenient locations, rather than always having to go to a department store, I'm finding that there are some fairly decent products out there.

I purchased two of NYX's blushes:  Terra Cotta and Desert Rose.

The Terra Cotta blush has a bit of a shimmer to it while the Desert Rose is definitely more of a matte finish.  Be forewarned:  both blushes are quite pigmented and go on fairly dark, so go light with the hand.  Both blushes are very creamy and almost feel like a cream blush and are both very easy to blend.  Terra Cotta is a shimmer and so it leaves a bit of a sheen on the cheek, but not sparkly.  

While I didn't purchase some of the more bronze shades like Cocoa or Taupe, I would think either of these would make nice contour shades as well.  One of the things I am finding with the NYX products is that they offer a large number of shades.  These blushes come in 25 shades - a color for everyone!


What I didn't like:  the blushes seemed to have a lot of fall out around the outer edges of the containers and I noticed some fallout on my counter after applying.  I tried using a more expensive brush and found that there was less fall out while using my nicer brushes rather than my synthetic ones, so here is a tip!


Product Details:
$5.99 .2oz/6.4g

25 shades: 
PB01 Mocha, PB02 Dusty Rose, PB03 Angel, B04 Silky Rose, PB05 Pinky, PB06 Peach, PB07 Natural, PBO8 cinnamon, PB9 Raisin, PB10 Sand, PB11 Taupe, PB12 Terra Cotta, PB13 Mauve, PB14 Spice, PB15 Stone, PB16 Chocolate Mouse, PB17 Desert Rose, PB18 Cocoa, PB19 Nutmeg, PB20 Cafe, PB21 Copper, PB22 Pecan, PB23 Espresso, PB24 Red, PB25 Pinched

Left:  PB 12 Terra Cotta, Right:  PB 17 Desert Rose

 PB 17 Desert Rose

PB12 Terra Cotta

Left:  PB17 Desert Rose, Right:  PB12 Terra Cotta

Review: NYX Eye Shadows

These were my first NYX products and I must say, they will probably not be my last!!!  I love the fact that I can purchase these at the grocery store, Target and Ulta.  This gives me lots of flexibility.

The particular store I purchased these from didn't have a wide selection of all the shades NXY offers given that they offer 162 shades!!!.  I purchased 4 different shades, dark navy (frosty), Fahrenheit (frosty/shimmer), purple (frosty) and eucalyptus (frosty) all of which had very nice pigmentation.  I found that there wasn't much difference between the frosty and frosty/shimmer other than the fact that the frosty/shimmer had very fine sparkles in it.  The colors go on very much as they appear in the packaging.  They have an extremely creamy feel to them and if I didn't know better I would swear these were cream shadows that blend like shadows.  They blend very nicely and I found myself wearing multiple shades together.  Eucalyptus was a great shade to blend with any of the shades I purchased.


My ONLY concern at this point:  I dropped one of the shadows from about 2 feet high and the shadow completely broke away from the container and eventually just crumbled.  I don't typically have this issue with something like a MAC shadow.  This is not to say it couldn't happen, but I have dropped several of my MAC shadows and have have not had this happen.  However, makeup isn't made to be dropped, so this is definitely "my bad," however, it's left me wondering how durable it will be as I use it in my everyday life.  I love my make up, but I don't have time to pamper it either!  :)  Not a show stopper by any means, but something that I will be watching.


Product Details:
162 shades (see website for all shades):  http://www.nyxcosmetics.com


Finishes Available:
Shimmer:  sparkly eye shadow with soft, glittery effect
Sheer:  hint of opalescent color
Glitter:  glitter for bold sparks
Frosty:  shimmery shadow without the glittery effect
Metallic - bold colors with intense shimmer
Net wt.  .09oz/2.7g

ES 124A Dark Navy, ES 112 Fahrenheit (orange), ES 32 Purple, ES 135 Eucalyptus

ES 32 Purple

ES 135 Eucalyptus

ES 124A Dark Navy

ES 112 Fahrenheit

Left to Right:  ES112 Fahrenheit, ES135 Eucalyptus, ES 32 Purple, ES124A Dark Navy

Smokey Taupe/Gray Look for Work

One of our resident Beauty Gurus, Laura, was kind enough to show us some photos her beautiful makeup look for work this week! She was also kind enough to share with us what products she used!!! Thanks Laura!!!

Products Used:
Face:

• Tarte Clean Slate
• Revlon ColorStay in 180 - Sand Beige
• Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer in Light
• Mac Select Moisture Cover Concealer in NW15 (so pale!)
• Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in 02 - Stay Neutral

Cheeks:

• Mac Personal Style - contour
• Stila Cheek Color in Cream - on apples and blended out

Eyes:

• UD Primer Potion
• NYX Iced Mocha (on lid, into crease)
• Kat Von D Ludwig Palette - Lucifer (matte black) blended into crease/outer v
• Kat Von D Ludwig Palette - Tequila - highlight, inner corner, blended into crease/outer v to blend/lighten up Lucifer
• Ulta Automatic Eyeliner in Black
• Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler (always!)
• CoverGirl Lash Blast in Black

Lips:

• Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm (light layer so Myth didn't show dry skin/lines)
• Mac Lipstick in Myth
• Mac Lipglass in Prrr

Five Minute Makeup Challenge!

This video is meant to show how makeup can be fun! If you're up for a 5-minute makeup challenge, then you should definitely try this look! It's super easy and fun!

What you will learn in this video:

• How to wear one color of eyeshadow and make it look pretty
• How to do your makeup quickly

5-Minute Makeup Challenge! from Bella Liberte on Vimeo.

Products Used:
Face:

• Chanel Teint Innocence in Beige 40
• Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Real Sand
• Buy the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder from Our Store!
• Mac Select Moisture Cover in NW25
• Benefit Hoola Bronzer
• Buy the this Bronzer from Our Store!
• Mac Blush in Bite of an Apple

Eyes:

• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha
• Buy these Jumbo Pencils from Our Store!
• Urban Decay Dual End Eye Pencil in Zero and Whiskey (comes in the Naked Palette)
• Makeup Forever Aqua Smoky Lash in Extra Black
• Buy this Makeup Forever Smoky Lash from Our Store!
• Mac Impeccable Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe

Lips:

• Mac Lipliner in Half Red
• Mac Lipstick in Fresh Salmon (Limited Edition)
• Mac Lipgloss in Cha Cha