Beauties in Bloom

I'm going to assume if you're reading this blog that you all know about Samantha Chapman's Real Techniques makeup brushes by now! Since they came out, the brushes have pretty much taken the makeup/beauty community by storm. They are budget friendly and excellent quality and I use at least one or two real techniques brushes every time I sit down to do my makeup. I was very excited when I heard that a new limited edition set of brushes came out--of course I had to find them! The set is, as you can see, all duofiber--these types of brushes are typically used to give a lighter application of products. In this case though, they're not completely since both bristles are synthetic. It comes with a face brush, contour brush, and eye brush. I think the limited edition design is nice and simple, just like the rest of the Real Techniques line. All three brushes are extremely soft. Face brush: not densely packed at all so it's not great for packing on product. It is ...

If I had to choose a favorite eyeshadow color to use, my favorite would most definitely be a shimmery bronzey brown. Call me boring when there are so many vibrant colors to choose from, but I can't help it! I absolutely love a shimmery chocolate smokey eye more than anything else. I think brown is flattering on all eye colors and it can be made subtle enough for daytime or dramatic for evening. I just hit pan on two bronze colors in my eyeshadow collection so I thought I'd do some comparison swatches for you before I finish them up! Inglot 409 on the left, Nars Kalahari on the top, Urban Decay Smog in the middle and Mac Tempting (with the huge bit of pan showing!) on the right! Comparison swatches! L-R Inglot 409, Urban Decay Smog, Mac Tempting, Nars Kalahari From Left to right: Inglot 409 pearl: This bronze has a bit more red warmth to it, especially compared to Urban Decay Smog and is a bit darker--though I do think it's similar on the lid. Both 409 and...

Today I have a battle of the nude eyeliners!! For nearly a year, Nars Rue Bonaparte has been a staple in my makeup bag. Nars Rue Bonaparte is a creamy, nude colored eyeliner pencil. I have loved using a nude color on the waterline. I used to use black on the waterline all the time but dark colors on the waterline can actually make eyes look smaller. I still love using black, especially with smokier eyes but I have found that nude is a wonderful alternative. Nude eyeliner covers up any pink on the waterline that can make you look tired and makes your eyes look much more wide eyed and open. Nars Rue Bonaparte has a wonderfully creamy texture and is the perfect soft matte nude color to make eyes look bright. I already used up one pencil completely and am currently working through a second one--that's how much I love the effect! So when Rimmel came out with their new Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliners, I was ecstatic to hear that they came out with a nude color! After watching THIS ...

Hi everyone! You may know from my post about YSL Glossy stains ( HERE ) that they are my absolute favorite lip product. I love everything about them--the staying power, the formula, the colors...The only thing I hate is the high price point. At $32 per glossy stain, they don't come cheap. So I was completely ecstatic when it was rumored that the new L'oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stains were a possible dupe for them! I picked up 4 for way less than the price of one glossy stain. I thought I'd share some swatches and my thoughts on them with you! L-R: Endless Red, Coral Tattoo, Pink Resistance, Berry Persistant The gold packaging is really nice--obviously not as luxurious looking as the YSL glossy stains, but I do like the packaging. I really like that you can see the color on the side as well. In the photo below you can see that the applicator is quite similar too. They both have a slightly pointed padded doefoot applicator. The YSL ones is a bit more angular so it does...

Hey all! I've gotten a lot of requests asking for an updated post of my Inglot eyeshadows. I first posted about them last year after discovering how much I love them and how affordable they were for such a quality eyeshadow. After all this time, they are still one of my favorite eyeshadow formulas and I probably use at least one or two of them in each look I do. Since my first post, I have accumulated two more palettes so there are a bunch of new colors that I swatched (along with repeats from last year's post). If you'd like to read more about Inglot and the various eyeshadow formulas, please take a look at my original post HERE ! Let's jump into it!  I posted my swatches from left to right, top row first then the bottom! For quick reference, the finishes are as follows: P = Pearl, M = Matte, Double Sparkle = DS, Advanced Makeup Component = AMC, & lastly, AMC Shine  Again take a look at my first post  here  for more in-depth descriptions. ...

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 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...

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...

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...

I just got ahold of two more Inglot eyeshadows to add to my eyeshadow palettes (see HERE ). I noticed right away that they resembled two Mac eyeshadows that I already own so I thought I'd do some comparison swatches for you all! Mac Humid, Mac Jest As you may know from reading my original post on Inglot eyeshadows, I am a HUGE fan. I think the Inglot eyeshadow quality is absolutely amazing--every single one of their eyeshadows is smooth, buttery, pigmented, and blend effortlessly. At roughly $5 an eyeshadow, they are a ridiculous steal--I would honestly pay triple the amount for one--which brings me to about the cost of a Mac eyeshadow in pot. I do love a lot of my Mac eyeshadows--many of the colors are unique and have a wonderful texture. However, on the whole, I am really preferring Inglot eyeshadows now--I wish I knew about them years ago! Inglot 397 Pearl &  Inglot 418 Pearl Mac Humid & Jest both have a lovely texture--- they are both very smooth and pigm...

It seems that with every spring season, bold lips are always the big trend! Mac Vegas Volt is such a perfect color for spring and summer. It is a bright, creamy coral/orange with a touch of pink! The color is very, very pigmented and opaque. It can be a little bit intense for those (like moi!) who shy away from bright, opaque colors--it can almost come across as neon if you apply it to heavily. I prefer to blot it down a bit or apply a gloss over it to make it a bit more wearable! It is such a flattering bright color though. I can see it working for a variety of skin tones, but it would probably suit warmer skin tones since the color is so warm itself! It's really a color you should try yourself--I've seen swatches online where it leans more orange and others where it leans more pink so i think it really depends on your skintone and how pigmented your lips are! In terms of the formula, Vegas Volt is an amplified creme so it is very smooth and creamy, making them a dream to ...

I got this brush a while ago from Mac--I believe it was the Naturally collection. I was really excited to get it because I didn't really have a good, large eyeshadow blending brush in my brush collection. I had ones that were smaller (and better for crease placement) but none that were all over blending brushes. The 286 is exactly what I needed! The Mac 286 is a duo-fibre blending brush--a mix of goat and synthetic hairs. Mac says it gives a sheerer more controlled application of eyeshadow. A Mac sales associate told me it is very similar to the Mac 224, which is a very popular blush for blending the edges of eyeshadow. I am sooo happy to say that this  brush has been the perfect blending brush for me! Because of the domed shape, I can use it to apply and blend crease shades as well as using it for overall blending of harsh edges. Because of the duo-fibre I do notice that it picks up a little less product than my other brushes, however I find that it's actually an advantag...

Wanted to do a quick post about Mac Runaway Red Lipstick from the recent Mac Shop, Cook collection that just came out! I've been on the hunt for a flattering red lipsick for a while now so I made sure to get to the Mac store early today to check out the new collection. Mac Runaway Red is not a new lipstick from Mac (it was last seen in Fall 2011 with the Mac Me Over collection) but it is sadly limited edition--so it could be repromoted in future collections. I'm glad I finally got my hands on ti! No Flash Mac Runaway Red is my personal perfect red--it's just the right color that I've been looking for. It's a medium-deep blue-based cranberry red with the slightest touch of pink/fuchsia. It's not too dark, not too bright. It doesn't pull too orange or too blue or too pink on me, it's just a true red. It is a "satin" formula so they are not quite as moisturizing feeling as a cremesheen yet aren't as dry as matte lipsticks. Many people ha...

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...