Beauties in Bloom

Today I wanted to show you another Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner that I have been a fan of for a few months now. I previously talked about how much I love the Black Ink color HERE . I think Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliners are such a fantastic product--I wish I could collect them all! Forest Shimmer Ink is a sooty dark olivey green with subtle gold shimmer. It is such a stunning color! I personally love wearing it with green, brown, gold, and cream eyeshadows or just on it's own. It's very versatile for a green eyeliner because the brown/olive undertones helps make it more neutral and wearable. Pigmentation is excellent--it's completely opaque and the shimmer stays on to give a lovely effect on the eyes. Texture is creamy and smooth so it applies very easily with all types of eyeliner brushes. I personally have extremely good wear time with Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners both on the lid and on the waterline. They last all day on me until I remove it at night. Another pl...

Estee Lauder has certainly been making a comeback in the makeup world ever since makeup artist Tom Pecheux became the creative genius behind Estee Lauder's pure color lines. They have come out with a number of exciting products--more pigmented eyeshadows, new lipsticks, colored mascaras, etc. Last year, Estee Lauder's blush line was completely revamped into the Pure Color Blush line we know now. Their blushes are definitely giving blush frontrunners like Nars, Mac, & Illamasqua a run for their money! I've been using the shade "Lover's Blush" a lot recently. They're housed in a large gold compact and contain a mini brush for touchups. I personally don't like when companies include mini brushes--I usually find the quality to be quite useless and it just takes up space in the compact. I've just kept mine in there unused. The blush size is quite generous, you get .25oz. For the exact same price of $28, you only get .16oz in a Nars blush. Somet...

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...

Guys, I finally hit pan on a bronzer I've had for a few years now! I've been using Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer for a long time now!! See the tiny bit of metal pan in the middle!? Since I took this picture it's even bigger! :) Firstly, I have to say this is the best smelling makeup product I own. It smells delicious, just like chocolate! I think it contains actual cocoa powder too. The scent is initially strong but the smell doesn't linger on the skin (therefore you can wear perfume and it won't interfere and you won't smell like a chocolate bar all day).  Chocolate Soleil is such a fantastic bronzer. It's matte and is not so warm toned that it turns orange on the skin--making it very easy to bronze up your skin in a natural way. Because there's no sparkle or shimmer it's easy to use as a contour or all over the face. For my skin tone I think the color is great, though I would definitely recommend more pale skin tones try their ...

I know I know, yet another  Zoya polish! What can I say, I'm obsessed! Anyway, today's nail polish is the beautiful Zoya Jules! Don't mind the terrible cuticles, I was in a rush! haha! Jules is a shimmering gray tinged champagne taupey color. A somewhat vague description, but it is definitely special. It's neutral enough to be subtle but still unique and shimmery to make it interesting! It was great in two coats though I could have done with a thin third coat. Formula is excellent as usual, not too thick, not too thin. Thoughts on Zoya Jules? As always don't forget about the share the love rewards program (you can read about HERE ) and to check out their facebook page for special deals!

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...

Ever since I got my first Maybelline Color Tattoos back in February of last year (see my initial review HERE !) I have added a few more to my collection. I love using them alone as a wash of color or as a colored base for my powder eyeshadows. One of my favorite colors I have gotten is one I'm showing you today-- Bad to the Bronze! It is such a nice shimmery neutral, I find myself using it all the time! As I mentioned before, these don't quite last like tattoos on my eyelids. They crease awfully on their own but work amazing over an eyeshadow primer! Keep in mind they may not crease for you--I just have annoyingly oily eyelids :) The texture on this one is creamy and very blendable---I actually find it to be the best texture (the creamiest!) of all the tattoos I own. The color is a taupey-bronze. It is not like a traditional bronze with warm, golden undertones. It is more of a taupe with a hint of bronze. I love the color and think it would be flattering on sooo many...

Hey guys! I'm back with yet another Zoya polish-- Toni! A little while ago I was fortunate enough to win a Zoya giveaway hosted by the lovely Kristina at SasquatchSwatch ! I was sent two colors (Toni & Natty) from the Zoya 2012 Designers Collection. As you may know from reading my blog, Zoya is my favorite brand for nail polish, so I was absolutely ecstatic to get two more to add to my growing collection! I took a quick picture of it on Instagram so you could see what a pretty color it is: Toni is a dark, berry wine color. It's a beautiful cream finish and is perfectly opaque in two coats. The finish is glossy though it looks even more so in the photo because I have nailtiques over the top of it. I couldn't recommend Zoya polishes enough--Toni is yet another lovely one! If you're interested in any of my other Zoya posts, you can check HERE ---on that post you can also read my summary of Zoya's Share the Love points program (yet another reason why I love ...

Hey guys!! So I played around with my blog background and layout--what do you think? New year new design :) Today I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite lip products of all time, the YSL Glossy Stains. Literally, of all time. They are magical. I'm sure you beauty lovers have either tried or heard all about them, but I thought I would my two cents on an amazing product! The ysl glossy stains are an innovative lip product that combines that pigmentation of a rich lipstick with the shine of a gloss and the longevity of a stain. Basically, it is a super lip product and delivers beautifully on all three aspects. One coat gives you a lovely tint, a second yields even more color and shine, and a third (my ideal) delivers the ultimate opaque, glossy lip! The glossy stains last longer than any lip product I have ever tried--and they look better for longer. I get really amazing wear from them--they last about 5-6 hours on my lips with the bulk of the time staying shiny. S...

I know I know---it's halfway through January and I'm only now touching on some holiday stuff. I've had these Anastasia Beverly Hills Holiday sets for about two months and I've really enjoyed playing with them. I didn't have time to do much blogging before the holidays so unfortunately I couldn't get this post up when they first came out. I have seen them on the Anastasia website though ( here ) so you may still be able to get ahold of them! First up is the "Kisses On My List" lipgloss set. L-R: Jolene, Sharona, Roxanne, Lola, Maggie May, Moi These are the 6 closses included in the kit. It contains three Hyperfull Glosses, Sharona, Maggie May, & Moi. These are supposed to be hydrating and on the sheer side. I however found that all of the lipglosses were pretty pigmented and could easily be worn alone. The other three, Jolene, Roxanne, & Lola are the Hypercolor glosses---they are supposed to "react with your skin's chemistr...

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. ...

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...

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...

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...

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...