Beauties in Bloom

Hi everyone! I wanted to do a post on my Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush today! I've had this brush for at least four or five years and it's still going strong! It is such a fantastic multitasker for face products! Too Faced calls the bristles on this brush "teddy bear hair" meaning it's cruelty free and easy to clean. The bristles are ridiculously soft and easily blend every product I've used with it. My main reason for getting this brush was to use with my mineral makeup--especially for  those lazy days where I don't feel like putting on my makeup but want my skin to look presentable. I love using it all over with my Laura Mercier mineral makeup and it also works amazingly well with Mac's Mineralized Skinfinish Natural. The kabuki is extremely dense and the bristles are really packed together--which makes it really ideal for blending and covering with mineral makeup (or powder foundation) all over the face. Because of this, I don't th...

Hi everyone! I wanted to do a post on some products I've finished the last few months. Most of the products mentioned are definitely some of my favorite items and it's no surprise I've repurchased a few of them already! I love the feeling you get from using up a product--it really feels like I got my money's worth!! :) Sorry about the camera phone quality!  Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua : This is definitely my "holy grail" foundation! I seriously love it so much. For such a lightweight, glowy foundation, it covers amazingly well and evens my skintone out flawlessly. It looks so natural. I have oily/combination skin--I set my tzone with a powder and lately have been setting it with an Urban Decay setting spray and it helps it last all day. I just love it and would recommend everyone give it a try--especially those who like natural looking coverage and a dewy finish. It's wonderful. My bottle lasted a good four and a half months---definitely repurchasing as s...

Hello!!! I've got a smokey eye look for you today! I received some Anastasia goodies from their upcoming Holiday collection to review for my blog and figured I would play around and do a look with the colors in the palette! I'll be posting a review soon but I must say it does include some great colors for a smokey eye! Products: Face: Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat (got a huge sample of this from Sephora! Still deciding if I like the finish--it's very, vvery dewy but does provide nice coverage!) Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Laura Mercier Translucent powder Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller Concealer Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed Anastasia Brow Powder in Brunette Anastasia Clear Brow Gel Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Anastasia Eyeshadows from Want You To Want Me Holiday Kit: Graphicts all over lid, Iron On in Outer-V & lower lashline, Members Only in crease, & a touch ...

Although my skin can be on the oiler side most days, I have never favored a matte look. I LOVE the look of dewy skin and because of that I have always loved using highlighters. I've always been a lover of powder highlighters and hadn't really delved into the world of liquid highlighters. When I saw makeup artist Lisa Eldridge use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in one of her youtube videos, it immediately caught my attention. The glow it gave was so beautiful and ethereal--I had to get my hands on it!  Firstly, the packaging is great--you get 50ml of highlighter and because you only need the tiniest amount, this bottle is basically going to last forever. It has a pump applicator. I find half a pump is more than enough product for both cheeks! Now for the product, I am in love. It blends so effortlessly into the skin and imparts such a beautiful, healthy glow. It is not glittery at all--it has a beautiful pearly sheen that manages to be glowy & dewy without look...

So today's post isn't makeup related at all, but I couldn't resist showing you some candles I bought at Bath and Body works. Autumn is my absolute favorite season--when I saw that the new Fall candle collection had debuted at B&BW, I had to go check everything out! I hope you are candle fans as well--I love the coziness they bring to a room and the fall scents they have are to die for! I included the description of each candle as described by Bath and Body Works on their website...here we go! Apologies for the iphone quality--I need to buy new batteries for my camera! Leaves 3 Wick Candle :  Like an afternoon spent playing in a pile of freshly fallen leaves, this fragrance embodies all the richness of the season and features a medley of ripe delicious apples, red berries and golden nectar.  If you could get just one candle to sum up the smell of fall, get this one. Unlike the name, it doesn't smell likes leaves; it smells like a blend of spices, berries, vanill...

Hey everyone! I thought I'd share another iphone photo of my manicure for the week! Essie Fiji has been a favorite of mine all summer! It's a perfectly opaque baby pink! Two or Three coats needed--I think I used two here and I did experience some slight chipping on day 3. Not as good as my Zoya wear time but I love this color so much I don't mind touching up! What have you been wearing on your nails? Have you tried Fiji!?

Today I wanted to show you a palette I've been playing around with a lot the past month! It's the Anastasia Beverly Hills She Wears It Well Palette. If you are a lover of neutrals like I am, definitely keep reading!  The packaging sturdy black faux alligator skin design. I love that it isn't bulky like some other palettes I've seen--it's thin and simple! There is also a decent sized mirror on the inside of the lid! Also included were some large flash carsds with all sorts of looks you can create from the palette. The cards aren't included with the palette but I may do some looks from them in some future posts if you're interested. I think it would have been nice if they included smaller versions of these cards with the palette! Neutral loveliness! As you can see a majority of the colors are on the shimmery side while the colors on the right are a matte formula (with the exception of the pink which has a bit of shimmer!) The palette also includes a ...

It's been a long time since I posted about the first Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush I got ( Amused ) so I figured it's time to show you one of my all time favorite blushes from the same line: Tarte Exposed. As you can see it's very well loved. I'm not at all surprised to see that the design is quickly fading away from all the use it's getting. Exposed is a soft netural brown/pink/rose. It gives the nicest, most natural glow on the cheeks. It is the blush I reach for when I either don't know what to wear or want my skin to look very natural and flushed. It is definitely my favorite everyday blush and I use it multiple times every week. Tarte Exposed on left, Nars Deep Throat on right As you can see from the above swatches, Exposed definitely has more rose and brown undertones in comparison to Nars Deep Throat which is a slightly shimmery peachy pink. It is also a matte blush---it's very smooth and blends easily onto the cheeks. The pigmentation is als...

I took a quick picture on my iphone so I could show you the lovely Zoya Kotori! This color is AMAZING--a sparkling jewel toned blue/teal. Sorry for the iphone quality image! Took it on the go :) Sorry, I have really ugly nails! My only problem with Kotori is that it is actually quite sheer for the first two coats. Three coats (which is what I used in the photo) is perfection. I would assume that you could get away with one or two coats if you paint Kotori over a black nail polish though. The staying power was excellent, I didn't experience any chipping until day 5 or 6! Feel free to check out the Share the Love program Zoya has and more importantly, all the Zoya nail polish swatches I've posted in this post HERE ! I'm usually not a blue nail person but Kotori has really won me over! What do you think?

The other day I saw a picture of a girl wearing orange and purple eyeshadow paired together. I thought this was such an unusual, yet pretty combination and decided to recreate it! Taking time to blend the colors softly made the look nice and wearable. I hope you're not sick of Inglot 407 yet since it was in my last fotd but I just can't get enough of it!! Hope you like it! :) Inglot 407 on lid, Inglot 325 in crease, dark side of Hourglass Exhibition in outer-v and Mac Phloof to highlight inner corner and browbone Products: Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Inglot 407 & 325 (orangey/gold & bright purple, see inglot swatches here ) Dark side of Hourglass Exhibition (see review here ) Mac Phloof Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink Covergirl Lashblast (orange tube) What unusual eyeshadow combination have you been loving lately?! Let me know and I'll give it a try!

Here's a short but sweet review on the Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter! I've had this product for a few years now and have been using it a lot lately for a sheer, comfortable lip color! The Korres lip butters are tinted lip balms that have a really nice, glossy finish. They are a really nice formula and according to Sephora.com, they are formulated without: - Parabens - Sulfates - Synthetic Fragrances - Petrochemicals - Phthalates - GMOs - Triclosan They also contain shea butter and rice wax, along with other natural oils to hydrate and smooth your lips. I LOVE the way they feel when you first apply it to your lips, but personally, I don't feel any long term moisturizing effects--your lips feel nice and smooth when the lip butter is on your lips, but once it wears off, that feeling doesn't linger. Thus, lots of reapplications are needed or I wear a heavier lip balm underneath! I do still love it because the sheer color it gives is so pretty--and they DO feel ...

This is a look I've been doing a lot lately--the gold/orange Inglot eyeshadow makes me feel extra summery! :) As usual with my orange toned looks, I am always drawn to chocolatey yumminess of Nars Galapagos to warm the shadow up even more! Inglot 407 on lid, UD Virgin to highlight, UD Buck in crease, Nars Galapagos in outer-v Products: Eyes: Mac Painterly Paint Pot Inglot 407 (an amazing, pearly coral/orange with gold shimmer) Urban Decay Buck, Naked, & Virgin (from Naked 1 Palette) Nars Galapagos Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Shimmer Ink Covergirl Lashblast (orange tube) Hope you like this look! Let me know what kinds of looks or colors you'd like to see in the future--I need new ideas!!!

As we go into the hottest month of summer, I'm sure many of you will be spending as much time as you can outside--time to take advantage of the weather before it's gone! I for one am not a huge fan of piling on makeup when it's hot outside--hence my lack of FOTD's the last month! There are a few exceptions though--aside from my skincare and sunscreen, I like to slap on a tinted moisturizer, add some blush, and as always, a few coats of mascara so my eyes look slightly defined. That's where Anastasia's Lash Genius has really been a lifesaver for me. As someone with very oily lids, mascara in hot weather is almost always a huge no! It will smear or flake off within a few hours and I'm left with a mess. I know there is always the waterproof mascara route, but I have never been a fan of it--I find everything about them to be too harsh. I hate the process of removing my makeup already and every waterproof mascara I've tried takes forever to remove! I also h...

Illamasqua Lover is a blush that I've had forever and used repeatedly in my past FOTD's. I just recently realized I hadn't devoted a post to it! It's is a beautiful bright apricot-peach blush. I'm completely obsessed with it and own nothing like it! Here it is: I really like Illamaqua's packaging. It's simple but sturdy. The top part of the case (forgot to photograph) is clear so you can see what color you're picking up, unlike the popular Nars packaging. There is a ton of product, .14 oz, so it's going to take forever to hit pan on it! The powder itself is very fine milled, blends effortlessly and feels weightless on the skin. It is also incredibly pigmented! It took me a while to learn how to apply this blush properly so I didn't look like a clown! One bounce of a fluffy brush into the blush is all you need--you don't need to dig your brush into it or swirl it around--if you do you'll pick up way too much product. One more th...

Hey everyone! I wanted to do a quick post on some brushes I've been using for a while now--the Real Techniques setting powder brush & blush brush! Real Techniques is a synthetic and cruelty-free brush line that was designed by Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo (if you haven't checked out their youtube channel, do it! They're fantastic!). I have a handful of their brushes and so far, I really love using them.  Setting Powder Brush: This fluffly little brush is a really useful and unique shaped brush to have. At first, it was so tiny I wasn't really sure I would get much use out of it. I was very wrong! I use it for blending concealer under the eyes, setting my concealer under my eyes and around my nose, and also applying and blending cream products like cream blushes or highlighters. I absolutely love that it has a full tapered head so it can fit under the eyes perfectly. Retails for $7.99 at Ulta. Blush Brush: This was the first Real Techniques brush I ever bough...

I have had my eye on Mac's Lady Danger lipstick for a looooooong time. It was continually out of stock at the Mac stores near me and is not available at department store counters. I always prefer to shop in store so I can swatch it to see how it will look on my skintone--so the obsessive shopper in me HAD to see it in person!! I finally got my hands on it and it is undeniable love. Lady Danger is an incredibly pigmented, opaque, matte shade. It's a beautiful red-orange--it's definitely a different look than the Mac Runaway Red I posted about a while ago. Whenever I look at it I can't help but think of old hollywood glamour--pairing a bold red lip with cat eye liner. This is my first matte lipstick from Mac and I was very pleased that it didn't dry my lips out at all. I don't own many matte lipsticks as I usually prefer a more moisturizing, glossy finish--however the matte finish really makes the shade last longer and the bold lip looks so much more eye-ca...

I've always been a Nars eyeshadow fanatic--although expensive, I think the quality is wonderful and many of their shades are very unique. Because of the price I usually stick to trading for Nars shadows, buying from a blogsale, or waiting for a sale from Nars or Sephora! I got my hands on Nars Night Clubbing a few months ago and it is definitely one of my favorite colors period.  Night Clubbing is a rich black infused with golden shimmer. As with most instances when you combine black and gold, the result is a dark olive color--a color I'm sure you are sick of hearing me yap about as it's my current favorite color lol!! The color payoff is really amazing--one swipe and you get more than enough rich color on your brush (or finger). I also love that the gold shimmer in it is so visible. The shimmer doesn't even disappear when you blend the eyeshadow. Here's the beautifulllll swatch: Ugh. So. Gorgeous. As with all my other Nars eyeshadows, the formula is ...

Hey everyone! I have a really exciting limited edition kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills to show you today! I am a huge fan of the Anastasia's brow products--I love the brow powder. I use "Brunette" nearly every day to fill in my brows. I am just thrilled that they wanted me to try out some of their other products!! I wasn't quite sure what to expect since I hadn't tried any of their makeup products before. I was pleasantly surprised--the quality is really impressive! This particular kit is called See and Be Seen!  The kit comes with an eyeshadow duo, two lipglosses, and a tinted brow gel! On Set Illumin8 Eyeshadow Duo On Set Illumin8 Eyeshadow Duo : The color on the left is a shimmering peachy apricot while the right side is a very warm orangey bronze. The colors are seriously gorgeous!! I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I do not own anything similar to them (look below at my comparison swatches!). They are silky smooth, blend easily, and ar...

Once again it's been quite a while since I've done a monthly favorites post! And I'm late! My apologies! I've been changing up my foundation routine the last month and trying out some new products! Here's a few of my favorite products from the month of May... Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation: I. Love. This. Foundation. I will definitely be dedicating a post to it in the near future. But just so you know, I think its amazing. I have been a die hard fan of the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer in Nude for a while now, and I honestly think I like this Chanel foundation a tiny bit more (shocking I know!).  I think the color match (my color is B20) is a slightly better match for my skin (when I have no tan) and the formula is really amazing with my combo/oily skin. My skin is WAY less oily at the end of the day and it looks undetectable. It also gives a bit more coverage than the Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer--so I use it when I want my skin to ...

What is it about shimmery pinky-coral blushes that is so amazing??? The first blush I ever had was Nars Orgasm--I was (and still am) obsessed with the beautiful and flattering coral/pink/gold sheen it would give my cheeks. Since then I've acquired quite a few more blushes in a similar hue. theBalm Hot Mama is quite possibly my favorite one out of all the pinky corals I have!! theBalm packaging is so frickin adorable. I also like that it's thin so you're not wasting packaging! There is a magnetic closure as well. theBalm's Hot Mama blush is described as  " A true all-in-one essential: sexy shadow, striking blush, subtle highlighter, and light-reflecting lip finisher tucked inside a go-anywhere compact." It is a warm coral with a touch of golden shimmer and a touch of pink as well. The color is not only amazing and pigmented but the texture is really incredible--it's so buttery, making it very easy to apply & blend. The blush also lasts all day...