The Natural Makeup Look

I actually did this look a few month back but never posted it here, lol. Anyhoo, there is nothing really exciting about this post but just to throw it out there because I think on a day to day basis, you really can't go wrong with the natural look. In the past, I've gotten quite a few compliments about not wearing too much makeup. Personally, I think I wear quite a bit but if you know how to apply makeup, you can achieve a natural look that's very flattering.

Ok, I tried to keep the look as natural as can be and this is what I came up with.

Product Used

Face: Lancome Teint Idole mixed with Revlon Colorstay foundation, Avon Classic Aura blush, MAC Shell Pearl beauty powder, Sephora mattifying compact in D35 for countouring.

Eyes: ELF Eyebrow Kit, UD 24/7 zero, Ulta mineral eyeshadow duo in Fire Opal, Revlon matte eyeshadow in Vintage Lace, and NYX blush in Taupe.

Lips: Maybelline ColorSensational lipstain in Touch of Toffee

Tips for a natural look
- Use a brush to apply foundation. I love using my ELF Studio Line powder brush. It's very soft, dense but not too dense, and has a flat top. A brush like it will give you an even and flawless application without using too much product. Use a stippling motion for that air-brush finish.
- As far as foundation goes, make sure it matches your neck.
- Use a translucent powder to set your liquid foundation. Don't over apply, you don't want your face to look too powdery.
- Use a light rose or nudy blush for your cheeks, preferrably one that doesn't have glitters or too much shimmers.
- When you use eyeliners, line the upper lash line with a thin line and smudge it with a Q-tip. Otherwise use an eyeshadow, go over the eyeliner, and softly blend it on your lash line. Don't wing the eyeliner too far out. You may want to use a dark brown eyeliner because it won't look as harsh as a black eyeliner. For the lower lash line, using a thin brush and eyeshadow, start with the outter corner and gently work your way in. You don't need to bring the color all the way to the inner corner, just half way is fine.
- You can skip the eyeshadows but if you choose to use it, use neutral colors. A little bit of shimmer on the center of your lid and a nude matte eyeshadow on the crease and outter corner will suffice.
- Define your brows using a shade slightly lighter if you have dark hair or slightly darker if you have light hair. I prefer to use a stiff small angled brush to apply the color to my brows. Just go over the natural shape of your brows. I use a Q-tip to clean or sheer the color if I used too much. If you already have thick brows, you may be able to get away with just nicely groomed brows and clear brow gel.
- For natural looking lips, use a nude or light pink lipstain. If your lips are prone to get dry apply a clear lip balm over the lipstain. Or you can apply a nude lipstick and blot it with a tissue to give your lips a bit of color without looking like you tried.
- Highlighting and contouring is optional but I find that a bit of highlight on the center of your face and bridge of your nose gives you a young looking glow.
- I don't use mascara but that's also optional. If you feel you must use it, go ahead and try not to over do it.

What are some tips you guys want to share for a natural-looking makeup look?

Givenchy - Very Irresistible

I went to the mall yesterday and saw my favorite perfume on sale at the Boston Store. I have been using this perfume faithfully for over a year now. This my signature scent and the only fragrance I’d wear. I’m quite picky when it comes to scent and once I fall in love with one, it grows on me for a long time.

In the past year, I was using the eau de toilette and I find that the scent would only last half a day on me. When I saw this on sale, I decided to try the eau de parfum because it is more concentrated. I definitely notice a difference from the eau de toilette. The eau de parfum is more potent so hopefully will last all day. If you don't like a strong scent, stick with the eau de toilette.

Normally, a 1.7 oz bottle retails for $73.00. I bought this set for $78.00 and it contains a 1.7 oz eau de parfum, a .25 oz roll-on eau de parfum, 2.5 oz body lotion, and 2.5 oz bath gel. They also gave me a free tote bag. So this was a great value set! I’m so happy! The perfume should last me until the end of next year.

Givenchy describes the scent as "a red carpet of rose petals is illuminated by star anise and the sparkle of verbena and red berries." With that said, it has a predominant fresh floral scent with a touch of spice and hint of sweetness. This perfume has a very sensual and divine scent. You will feel VERY sexy and irresistible when you wear this. The scent is very feminine and sophisticated. I think the name of this perfume suits it perfectly.

If you're into sweet scents, you may or may not like this perfume. All I gotta say is, next time you go to the department store, take a whiff at Very Irresistible and let me know what you think.

Which fragrance do you currently wear and are obssessed with?

NYX Black Label Orchid Vs. MAC Violetta

I had been lusting for Violetta for a long time since I saw swatches of it on Temptalia. It was just such a unique and beautiful Magenta color. I was very excited when it recently released in the Venomous Villains collection so I made sure to pick one up. If you didn't get a chance to do so, Violetta can be purchased at MAC Pro stores. With that said, I also love the NYX Black Label lipsticks and recently hauled a few lipsticks from Cherry Culture. To my surprise, I ended up picking a color very similar to Violetta. When I opened the cap and looked at the color from the tube, I immediately thought "wow, this color looks familiar...I wonder if..." Anyways let's cut to the chase and show you some swatches and comparison.

There's is definitely a difference when you see them side by side from the tube. Violetta looks like a more blue-toned magenta. Violetta is vanilla scented and Orchid is grape scented. I love the smell of MAC's lipsticks. I wished all lipsticks smelled like theirs. As far as packaging goes, NYX Black Label is definitely prettier but bulkier.

I was amazed at how close they are on the swatch. I was getting dupe alert flashing in my mind. However, there is a noticeable difference in the formula, which makes them slightly different.

As you can see Violetta has a lot more blue iridescence than Orchid. However, the base color is pretty much the same. Violetta also feels creamier and more pigmented, whereas Orchid feels glossier and not as creamy.

I would say this is probably the closest dupe to Violetta you will ever come across. The difference you will notice most is the prominent blue sheen from Violetta. Orchid also has a blue sheen but not as loud as Violetta. The base color for both lipstick is the same. They are both not easily accessible but one is cheaper. Violetta retails for $14.50 and Orchid for $7.50.

What do you think of these colors, dupes or not? Are they too bold for your taste?

Revlon Colorburst Soft Nude Vs. MAC Creme D'Nude

I've decided to compare these 2 popular nude lipsticks because they are favorites among many. MAC lipstick retails for $14.50 and Revlon Colorburst retails for about $7.00 (depending on where you purchase them).

I personally prefer the packaging of Revlon's Colorbust Lipsticks. It looks more sophisticated whereas MAC's packaging is plain and boring. On the other hand, I prefer the vanilla scent of MAC's lipsticks. Revlon Colorburst has a very faint synthetic scent that is barely noticeable and vanishes after you apply it.

Soft Nude is a light coral nude with warmer undertone whereas Creme D'Nude is a light pinkish nude with cooler undertone. Creme D'Nude also has a lot more sheen.

I applied both lipsticks on each side of my lips so we can compare how they show up. Creme D'Nude looks a lot milkier and feels more slippery. I find that the color doesn't apply evenly and the formula emphasized my dry lips as it settles between the lines. Soft Nude isn't as slippery. The color applies evenly and I find that the formula doesn't make my flaky dry lips look obvious.

I'm not a big fan of nude lipsticks. I feel like they make me look more pale than I already am. I tend to go for a lip product that shows more color. Honestly, I really do not like the formula in Creme D'Nude. I hate how uneven and slippery it applies. It was very pretty when I swatched it on my hand but it's way too light on my lips and pretty much erases them. I am in favor of the Soft Nude formula and I'm glad that the color doesn't make me look pale as a corpse.

Overall, I wouldn't consider them dupes. Creme D'Nude would look best on very fair and cool toned skin. I am light but not that pale. Since it's become colder I've gotten lighter now. My guess would be that my complexion falls within MAC NC25.

Which one is your favorite nude lipstick?

China Glaze Holiday 2010 Nail Polishes

Here is a the rest of my recent huge nail polish haul. I purchased these China Glaze holiday nail polishes at Ulta last week. I may go back for one or two more since these were the only ones I was able to get. If I do, I will add it on this post and update it.

Phat Santa is a neutral red nail polish color. 2 coats for an opaque color payoff.

Party Hearty is the ultimate nail polish glitter for the Holidays. It has all of the colors that symbolize Christmas. I really like the fact that the glitters are all different sizes. This is 2 coats on its own. I personally think it works best combined with another nail color as a base.

Jolly Holly is a beautiful emerald green nail color. At first, I didn't think I'd like it but once I swatched it on my nails. I was like wow, this is actually pretty! 2 coats for a very opaque color.

Peace on Earth is an olive green color with a metallic gold sheen to it. I have nothing similar to it and I really like this color.

Midnight Kiss is a gorgeous shimmery and metallic light gold color. I like that this color is a more subtle and not as bright as my other gold nail polish. 2 coats for an opaque color payoff.

Party Hearty meets Jolly Holly. I love this combination the best. They look so Christmassy and festive together.

Party Hearty meets Phat Santa. Not too crazy about this combo, I guess because you can hardly see the red glitters.

Party Hearty meets Midnight Kiss. This is also a nice combo. I like the fact that you can see all the colors. I still prefer Party Hearty over Jolly Holly.

So what do you think of this Holiday collection? I think Party Hearty is really the star of the show and if you are only getting one thing from this collection, this is the one I would recommend.

Holiday Makeup Look - Festive Plum

A makeup look was long overdue but I have been trying to keep up with my hauls and reviews. I still haven't finished my nail polish haul, lol, yes I still got a lot more to show you but I didn't want to bore you with 3 consecutive nail polish blog posts.

The holidays are coming up and it's the perfect time to do some festive makeup look. So from now on, I will do several holiday looks for your entertainment. I don't wanna bore you to death with my makeup reviews so I'm trying to switch things around so that there is a bit of everything.



For my eyebrows, I used the ELF eyebrow kit. Before starting my eye makeup, I used Urban Decay Primer Potion. I applied Benefit Plum-ing for Gold cream shadow on the lid with a brush. On my crease, I used Essence eyeshadow Big Bang. For the outer V, I used the navy blue eyeshadow from my Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia palette. I also applied over the cream shadow a pigment called Shadow Charisma from Pure Luxe Cosmetics. This adds a pinkish gold sheen to the plumy cream shadow. On the brow bone and inner corner, I used Virgin from Urban Decay. On the lower lash line, I used Stila Smudge pot in Violet. I think this really makes my eyes pop.





I used Wet N Wild Mega Liner liquid eyeliner in black for the upper lid. I added fancy feather lashes that comes with little rhinestones. I finished the eye makeup with NYX Liquid Crystal Liner in Crystal Pewter. I am so glad I bought those glitter liners, they really come in handy for a festive makeup look.



For the face I used Lancome Teint Idole and Revlon ColorStay foundation, Bare Escentuals powder foundation, Benefit Erase Paste, MAC mineralized blush Hang Loose (cheeks). On my lips I'm wearing Prestige Waterproof lipliner in Diva and Revlon Superlustrous in Stormy Pink. I figure I'd go with a matte bubble gum pink lipstick to balance the look since I have shimmer and glitter going on my eyes.

Overall, it's nothing too dramatic...at least I don't think it is. But definitely a fun look for parties.

OPI Burlesque Nail Polish Collection (Shimmers)

I decided not to buy the individual full-size bottle but instead went for this mini set. It's more cost effective and I get to try 4 shades from this collection. This set retails for $12.50. If you like a particular color from this collection, you may want to buy the full-size bottle, which retails for $8.50, but if you just want to try more colors, the mini set is perfect for that. I really like these colors. They are so bright and pretty; however, they look similar to some of the nail colors I already own so I'm glad I only purchased the mini set. Overall, I personally would pick the glitters from this collection over these because they are much more versatile and have a unique mix of colors. Don't get me wrong, these are still nice to have. OPI makes quality nail polishes.

Rising Star is an orange gold with shimmers.



Take the Stage is a bright copper with shimmers.




The Show Must Go On! is a bright raspberry pink with shimmers.



Ali's Bigh Break is a pinkish red with pink and gold shimmers. This nail polish has significantly less shimmers than the other three

Which one is your favorite color from this collection? Will you be picking any of these?

OPI Burlesque Collection Nail Polishes (Glitters)

Last weekend, I went on a nail polish shopping spree and bought a ton of nail polishes, lol. Major nail polish haul, I got going here. Anyhoo, these OPI from the Burlesque collection just recently hit the stores and OMG, I absolutely love that collection and they are flying off the shelves very quickly. This collection was inspired by the upcoming movie "Burlesque" and has bright, colorful, and dazzling glitter and shimmer nail polishes. I wasn't able to get the whole collection but enough to make me happy and giddy. So if you see anything you like, don't miss out and get yourself some of these babies because they are limited edition and won't be around forever. I will post the OPI Burlesque shimmers separately. I may go back to the store and purchase the other glitters I didn't get. If I do, I will update and add them on this post. These glitter polishes are just so pretty and a must have in your arsenal if you are a nail polish fanatic. I swatched them on their own but they will also look very nice with a colored base polish underneath. FYI, these retail for $8.50 a bottle.




OPI Extra-Va-Vaganza! The predominant glitter colors in this mix is orange and silver.



Extra-Va-Vaganza - you get a lot of glitter with 2 to 3 coats.





OPI Sparkle-icious. The predominant glitters in this mix is blue, gold, and magenta.

Sparkle-icious...This is my favorite out of the three. I like the colors of this glitter nail polish. 2 to 3 coat is enough to get all those glitters to cover your nails.



OPI Glow Up Already! The predominant glitter colors in this mix is olive green, magenta, and orange.



Glow Up Already! Once again just 2 to 3 coats and you're good to go.

Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss - Siren

OMG OMG...I'm like super duper excited and head over heals for this product. About a week ago during the VIB sale event, I was browsing at Sephora for my goodies and saw this lipgloss on display and when I swatched it, I knew I had to get it. Unfortunately, this shade was completely sold out but today when I went back, it was back in stock but there was only 2 left so that must tell you right there that this is a HOT item. For the record, I exchanged my Guerlain lipstick (Grenade), the one I had bought during Sephora's friends and family sale for this one. The reason is because my YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick Rouge Vermillon was pretty similar in color.

With that said, I've just tried Hourglass Siren on myself and let me tell ya, this color looks freaken stunning! A total showstopper. The color is so rich, pigmented, vibrant, glossy, and metallic. It feels very nice on the lips and non-sticky. It smells like coconut. The packaging is different and sleek. I really like it. The only thing I don't like about this product is the brush applicator because if you don't know it, a lot of these brush applicators have a tendency to fan out and can make application a hassle. I would have loved it so much more with a doe-foot applicator.
This lipgloss retails for $28.00 at Sephora. It's on the pricy side but I think it was totally worth it. If you didn't know it yet, this is a brand new brand that launched very recently at Sephora.

This color slightly leans on the warm side probably because of the fine red and gold microshimmers which give a multi-dimentional effect. This is a must have lipgloss in my book.

I took this picture with flash because I think it captures the color of this lipgloss better. I wanted you guys to see how gorgeously metallic this red is. I can't stop staring at it, haha. It looks a lot better in person, trust me. Next time you go to Sephora, I urge you to take a peak at this lipgloss. Siren is quite unique. However, if you are not a fan of reds, they do offer more subtle and wearable shades. Personally, I love this color because it's different and stands out.



NYX Black Label Lipsticks

The NYX Black Label Lipstick is one of my favorite lipsticks under $10. They feel light and are quite moisturizing. They apply smoothly without being slippery. These deserve a lot more love than the famous NYX Round lipsticks and are the real deal because they are far better in quality. Refer to this post if you haven't seen it yet. It compares the Black Label Lipsticks and the Round lipstick: http://xxxbeautyredefinedxxx.blogspot.com/2010/11/nyx-black-label-lipsticks-vs-nyx-round.html. I would compare these Black Label to some of my higher-end brand lipsticks but you won't pay high prices for these.

One thing I don’t really like about this lipstick is the grape scent. Fortunately, the scent quickly fades after you apply and doesn’t leave a funny taste behind. Another con is that this lipstick is hard to find in stores and you will have better luck on Nyxcosmetics.com or Cherryculture.com if you want to look up their entire line. The swatches on these websites are not very helpful or true to color either but will give you a general idea.  

I think that packaging is very cute with black lace designs printed on the cap but it’s bulkier than the average lipstick. The formula feels similar to MAC’s luster lipsticks but are pigmented like MAC’s crème sheen. Some of the Black Label lipsticks are frosty and similar to MAC’s frost lipsticks. The following lipsticks were part of my recent Cherry Culture haul. I do have a few more in my stash but I will post those later.

NYX Black Label Lipstick Bling is a beigy light pink lipcolor that leaves a nice sheen to your lips. This shade would be flattering on most skin tone for a daytime look. If you like neutrals and pinks, I think you will like this shade.

NYX Black Label Lipstick Poem is a blue based pink with a little hint of lilac in the mix. It doesn’t have any glitter or shimmers and will leave satin sheen to your lips. This is actually a pretty wearable pink, at least for me it is.

NYX Black Label Lipstick Hot Pink is a bright fuchsia pink lipcolor with no glitters or shimmers What I like is that it actually looked better than I expected because the color from the tube seemed a little intimidating. It’s actually more wearable than it looks, which was a nice surprise.  It leaves a satin and glossy finish on your lips and makes them look lush and juicy.

NYX Black Label Lipstick Orchid is my new favorite shade. It’s a toned down fuchsia purplelish lipcolor with a translucent blue sheen and reminded me a lot of MAC’s Violetta lipstick. I will compare the two lippies in a separate post.

NYX Black Label Lipstick Cherry doesn’t quite look like a cherry color in the tube but somewhat does on the lips. I was expecting this lipstick to be more on the cool side but it’s leaning more on the warm tone because of the hint of brown and orange in the mix. For being such a rich and darker color, it applies slightly on the sheer side with a glossier finish.

Thoughts and comments? Which color would you wear?

Orly Tis the Season Holiday 2010 Nail Polish Haul

Orly just launched these Holiday nail polishes and yesterday I stopped by Sally Beauty Supply to check them out. I picked the colors that looked the most appealing to me. These are perfect to dress up your nails for Holidays or to give them as gifts ;). As far as quality goes, I do enjoy Orly’s nail polishes, they dry fairly quick and last me at least five days without chipping. The brush is medium size, round, and easy to use. I like the rubber grip of the brush handle. I also ended up picking up a China Glaze nail polish along with the Orly, just because I thought it was so pretty I knew I’d feel sorry if I left the store without it, lol. Depending on where you buy them, these polishes cost around $7.00.

Orly Rockin’ Rocket is a cranberry nail color with  a brownish undertone.  It has very fine gold shimmers that makes the color pop even more. This is a really beautiful deep shade. It’s very pigmented and you get a pretty good color pay off within the first coat.

Orly Meet Me Under The Mistletoe is a deep forest green nail color with green glitters that are similar to Orly’s Cosmic FX nail polishes. There’s something unique about these glitters, they give a multi-dimentional look and jewel-like sparkle to your nails. You will need 2 to 3 coats to get an opaque color.

Orly Glitz & Glamour contains bright gold glitters that are also similar to Orly’s Cosmic FX nail polishes giving you a multi-dimentional and jewel-like sparkle to your nails. I also notice a small amount of fine red micro-shimmers in the mix. You will need at east 3 coats to get an opaque color.

China Glaze Dorothy Who? is a beautiful sapphire blue nail color with sparkling blue glitters. When I looked at the bottle, it felt like starring at a piece of gem. It’s just how pretty that is. At first I thought the base color may be very sheer but I was wrong. I get a pretty intense and opaque color in just 2 coats.

Do you like to dress up your nails for the Holidays?