Beauties in Bloom

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been so absent from blogging these last 2 weeks. The holiday season really kept me busy and I just didn't have time to update as often as I would have liked to. Here's a quick post on some of my favorite makeup products that I discovered and loved in 2011! I had a lot of favorites so it was reallllly hard for me to choose just a few things! Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes Smooth, pigmented, last all day and beautiful shades to choose from. What more could you ask for? I have a few more reviews and swatches of these blushes coming up in 2012 ;) The color Exposed has been a personal favorite! Here's my post on Amused ! Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation This is just one of the many Laura Mercier products that I love. Silk Creme foundation is an incredible  foundation for my skin! Covers incredibly well but looks completely natural. I always wear this for nights when I want my skin to look flawless--this is definitely the foundation I'll be we...

I've been on such a Zoya nail polish kick because of all their promos they've been doing lately (check their facebook page!). Today's polish is Zoya Kelly, a rich and creamy gray that mostly leans blue but also has a tiny bit of purple in it as well---it's certainly not your typical grey color! I think Kelly is such a unique color. It's a nice alternative to black if you don't like to wear black on your nails but want to try darker colors. Formula is wonderful and opaque--I applied two thin coats. Zoya is definitely my favorite brand of nail polish--I have some OPI, Sephora by OPI and Essie that I like a lot, but nothing beats the Zoya formula for me. It lasts on my nails longer than any other brand and doesn't chip as fast (for me at least!). What do you think of Zoya Kelly? Do you like wearing darker colors on your nails?

Honestly, I should just let the pictures speak for themselves this product is so amazing. This is my first Hourglass product and I am completely in love. This eyeshadow duo is just gorgeous and perfect. I LOVE the packaging!! It is so sleek and beautiful--it's a silvery-brown pewter color and has a mirror on the top that swivels so you can open it by sliding it over or lifting it like a typical eyeshadow case. With all my makeup I definitely care more about the eyeshadows inside than the packaging, but I am definitely impressed with how elegant this looks! It also comes with a little brush but I haven't tried it as I prefer to use the makeup brushes I already have! Hourglass calls the colors:  "mauve shimmer" and "eggplant shimmer."  The left side is a shimmery light pink/mauve/taupe while the right side is the most stunning, shimmery purple eggplant. I think these colors are perfect together and SO flattering. The texture is pure butte...

Hey Everyone! Here’s a hair post to interrupt my constant talk about makeup haha!! Hopefully you’ll be interested! A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Brian of Misikko and he asked if I would like to try out and review one of their most popular products: the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. After doing a bit of research on the product and the company, I agreed to review it.  Firstly, let me say that my expectations were EXTREMELY high. This hair dryer retails for over $300 (yet on Misikko’s website it is on sale for $194.99). On sale or not this is an expensive hair dryer. For my whole life I’ve always bought hair dryers that were under $50 and assumed that they all basically achieved the same thing at any price level.  I have to say, I’m really glad that I wasn’t disappointed… Here’s what was in the box: Beautifully packaged...and they were very generous including extra goodies! They included some nail files, anti-bacterial soap, an ELF eyela...

I have been reallyyy into greens this past year--and this perfect, shimmery gold olive is no exception! Gold and olive green make such a gorgeous combination! The Zoya formula is definitely one of my favorites. Yara took two coats to be opaque and lasts almost a week before chipping--which is pretty amazing in my opinion! On day 5 I had to do a touch up on 2 fingers and that's it! This color is just so perfect for fall and the gold shimmer in it really makes it a unique and flattering green. Zoya polishes retail for around $8--I know that my Ulta carries them. If you haven't "liked" Zoya on facebook already, I would most definitely recommend doing that! I (along with many others!) won a free nail polish back in August when they held a sweepstakes. I chose Yara! Their facebook page constantly updates with new contests and promo codes for their website, so you can always get a great deal on their polishes! What do you think of Zoya Yara?!? Do you like Zoya n...

I've been wanting to do a post on Mac See Sheer lipstick for a while now. It has been a staple in my purse the last two months--I think it's the perfect color to transition from the warmer summer months to colder weather. Mac See Sheer is a semi-sheer coral pink lipstick. Depending on your skin tone and pigmentation of your lips, it will come off more coral or more pink. On me it shows up as a coral-reddish shade. Despite the name it is definitely NOT sheer! Although it's a Lustre formula, which is known for being less pigmented, See Sheer can build up to a creamy and glossy opaque color. With a few swipes I get very good coverage so it completely covers my lips. On the other hand, one swipe delivers a soft coral tint. I love the feel of the lustre formula--it doesn't dry out my lips at all. It almost feels like a mixture between a gloss and lipstick. Here's some lipsticks to compare! See Sheer is in the middle L-R: Mac Modesty, Mac See Sheer, Revlon Kis...

Mac Patina is one of my favorite eyeshadows I own! It's a color that, in the pan, will make you think it's just an ordinary, boring brown. But it is much more special than that... Patina is a gorgeous antiqued gold--it has a tan brown base with bits of pink and gold and green. It's more complex than you'd think, though very beautiful. It's not frosty in the slightest, but has a nice bit of shimmer that subtlety reflects on the eye. It's soooo versatile...you can wear it all over the lid, in the crease, on the lower lashline...you can pair it with olive greens, dark greens, purples, pinks, browns...the list could go on and on, I can't even imagine a pairing that wouldn't work. Here's some other Mac eyeshadows I compared it to... Mac Woodwinked is a very pretty gold, but unless you have more tanned skin, it can pull very orange, and not in a good way. Many people compare Patina to Woodwinked, but I don't think they're anything a...

I received the beautiful (unfortunately limited edition) Mac eyeshadow, Smokes and Diamonds a few months ago from a blogsale and last night I finally got around to doing a look with it! Smoke and Diamonds is a dirty grey taupe with bits of gold too. It's a beautiful color. I decided to smoke it out and pair the taupe with the dark teal in the Nars Dogon eyeshadow duo (which you can see swatches of  here !) and bring out the gold flecks with Mac Grand Entrance. Mac Grand Entrance all over lid, Mac Smoke & Diamonds in crease/outer-v, Nars Dogon in outer-v Products: Face: Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude & Sand (mixed) Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Bobbi Brown Corrector Laura Mercier Translucent powder TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Anastasia Brow Powder in Brunette Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot as my primer Mac Brule (highlight), Grand Entrance, Smoke and Diamonds Nars Dogon Bobbi Brown ...

Here's the completely gorgeous Zoya Blair... Blair is a very dramatic and deep blackened scarlet red/burgandy. The color is absolutely amazing and one of my favorite reds EVER--it has beautiful, rich shimmer throughout it and has a nice, glossy finish. I was having so much trouble getting the right lighting, but I hope you can get an idea of the color! Zoya Blair was opaque in one coat, but I did two to make it completely smooth. I love Zoya's nail polish formula! If you're in the market for a beautiful, vampy red this holiday season, definitely check this one out!

Lately, I've been into doing really neutral eye looks with either a bright lip or a darker, vampy lip. Shimmering browns is definitely a look I gravitate towards when I need something simple on the eyes, yet don't want to leave them too naked! Here's a look I paired with Revlon's new lip butter in Red Velvet (check out swatches of the lip butters here ). Bare Escentuals Queen Tiffany on lid, Mac Grand Entrance on inner corner, Mac Wedge in Crease, Mac Shroom to highlight, Nars galapagos and Mac Handwritten in outer-v/outer lid woo!! awkward smile!! Products: Face: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Bobbi Brown Corrector in Bisque Laura Mercier Translucent powder TooFaced Chocolate Soleil Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer Anastasia Brow Powder in Brunette Eyes: Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow primer Mac Painterly Paint Pot Mac Shroom, Wedge, Handwritten Nars...

I recently bought 3 new colorburst lipglosses that came out with the Revlon Spice It Up Holiday Collection. I came across the display at a grocery store: As you may know from reading my blog, Revlon makes some of my favorite lip products! I couldn't resist picking up a few! L-R Cheers, Ignite, Chilled   Cheers: a opaque raspberry color and my personal favorite! It's very vibrant and gorgeous on the lips! Ignite: a glittery, warm red/orange Chilled: sheer and colorless with lots of shimmer. I've really been wanting a clear lipgloss that could be applied over any color for extra oomph! Ignite and Chilled both have glitter in them--the texture is a bit more gritty, but I personally don't mind it. I think it gives a really pretty effect on the lips! If you hate the feeling of glitter, then stick to the creamier glosses from the collection! Here's a comparison to some other Colorburst Lipglosses I have... L-R Hot Pink, Bordeux, Cheers, Ignite, Str...

OPI Cuckoo For This Color came out with OPI's Swiss collection in 2010. I've been completely obsessed with this color lately as I think it's perfect for winter weather and am happy to know that this color is actually a permanent part of the OPI's line. It's an elegant, shimmering emerald green with teal/blue tones to it. Seriously, how gorgeous is that? I love how dark and rich it is...but not so dark that it looks more black than green. I really think this color would be flattering on anyone! Application is wonderful--two coats and it was completely opaque and smooth. I've never gone through a bottle of nail polish before, but if I ever went through this one I would definitely repurchase!! What nail polish are you wearing at the moment?! Do you like wearing greens and teals? Also, Happy Halloween!!!!

Happy (almost) halloween!! As much fun as it is to wear different costumes and dress up, I'm not really someone who goes all out for halloween. I usually try to put together an outfit from my closet and if I need to, buy some sort of easy to find mask or headband with cat ears (in previous years!). I had a halloween party to attend tonight and decided to dress up as a peacock! I bought a TON of peacock feathers (for very cheap) on ebay to put in my hair and already had some peacock earrings and a turquoise sweater ;) The makeup is the most fun part of halloween anyway, right? That's what I focused on for my look! Rock & Republic (R&R) Ambition on inner corner, R&R Chronic on lower lashline, Mac Shimmermoss on lid, Mac Birds and Berries on outer lid, Mac Humid on outer-v, Mac Nocturnelle in crease/outer-v, Nars Nouveau Monde in crease, Right side of Nars Demon Lover on outer-v. I used bobby pins to keep the peacock feathers in place! Pro...