Chanel Tweed Pink Blush

Or also known by its proper name, Tweed Pink Tissages de Chanel. Let me first say this, I'm a blush fiend.  I can't help myself. I love all kinds of blushes: pink, coral, peach, nude, matte, shimmery, frosty, whatever. I'll take it. Tweed Pink is one of the most beautiful blushes I have in my collection. Looking at it makes me happy.

This is also one of the most flattering pink blushes on my skin tone. It's pink without being too pink. Does that make sense? It's soft, blends well, and the color payoff is excellent. Though, for $45 USD a pop, that's what you ought to get.

So, based off the swatch it might look too shimmery for some people's tastes, but it doesn't give you disco ball cheeks or anything. I promise. Sometimes, a swatch can be deceiving. Tricky, tricky!

I tried to find some dupes in my collection and these were the closest (but not quite):

L-R: NARS Angelika, Chanel Tweed Pink, TheBalm Down Boy

NARS Angelika is a deeper, more intense blue based pink that imparts more glitter/shimmer. TheBalm Down Boy is completely matte and the formula is quite powdery. Like I said, they're a little similar but not quite...

Surf, Baby!

I bought a few things from MAC's latest collection, "Surf, Baby!" that I wanted to share with you guys.  Here goes:



My Paradise Cheek Powder


I've been wearing this everyday. I love, I love, I love. I would describe this as a warm matte peach with a shimmery gold overspray.

L-R: Peach color alone, Gold overspray,  Mixed

Hibiscus Lipstick

This is such a fun summer color. It's a bright coral that pulls more red than orange, in my opinion. It lasted several hour without touchups. It has a Cremesheen finish.

Strange Potion Lipglass

Strange Potion was originally in Venomous Villains ('10). I regretted not getting it then, but I'm glad I got it this time around. It's a soft, corally (<--- not a real word) - pink, making it easy for most to pull off.

Good Lovin Lipglass

My favorite! It's a shimmery nude that has some pinkyness to it. I dabbed a little VG Gaga II (the nude one) over my lips, then applied this gloss. Perfection. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush and Lip Care Stuff

On Mothers Day, I was able to goto Sephora but I was on a time limit. Luckily, I knew exactly what I wanted. A few posts back, I added Tarte's new Amazonian clay blush in Dollface to my wish list. Well, I got it! All of the colors are beautiful. I figured at $25 USD a pop, I would just buy one and if I liked it enough, I'd probably try out another one next time.

Contains 5.6 grams / 0.20 oz. of product for $25 USD

Dollface is the perfect light baby pink. It has a matte finish and for me, it lasts through the day. I can see this working on a variety of skin tones. It's nicely pigmented (though, I read that some of the other colors are even more pigmented) and blends easily into the skin. And, for those who love natural beauty brands, Tarte is right up your alley. Being completely truthful, organic / natural beauty brands don't affect my decision making. Meaning, I'm not overly concerned about product ingredients (or I'm not as concerned as I ought to be?). Anyway, would I buy this again? Yes, despite it being rather expensive, in my opinion. It's an over all great product with a small but eye-catching range of colors. There's something in this line for everyone. I'd like to try Blissful, Amused, and Flush next. What do you think? Have you tried it?

So, the lip care thing...

I'm going to start a new segment on lip care because I have chronic dry lips. Ten bucks says I'm not the only one. Flaky, icky, cracked, bleeding lips all year round. Kinda makes applying lipstick a bummer, huh? Although, that's pretty much my fault because I don't give them much TLC but I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm going to test various products ranging from drugstores to MAC to Sephora and whatever else I can get my hands on. I'm going to test each product on its own for a span of 3-4 weeks, then I'll report my findings to you. Sound good? I'm on a mission! Right now, I'm testing Smith's Rosebud Salve. I'll let you know the verdict in about two weeks. 

theBalm Down Boy

I'm in a ridiculously good mood today. It's going to be 71 and sunny today. Spring, AT LAST! I even started getting back into some of my Spring makeup. Remember Lazy Day from "To The Beach"? Yep, I'm wearin' it! In fact, I'm wearing it with my new blush, Down Boy from theBalm.

It's the most perfect pink, no?

theBalm Down Boy, $21 USD

I love the packaging: very cute, very glam, very fun. First impression? I loved the color. Just kind of pinky-pink I like. As far as blushes go, I'm not picky about the finish. Matte, frost, shimmer, whatever. I take 'em all, but this little beauty has a matte finish. The only thing I thought might be troublesome, was that it got pretty powdery when I was swatching it with my finger. It left me wondering if this was going to make a mess on my face.

....but it didn't. Although very pigmented, this blush blended onto my cheeks effortlessly. I was left with a nice pink flush without looking too pink, you know what I mean? It didn't look overdone at all. I'm a huge fan and I highly recommend. 

Eager to get my hands on...

I was just snooping around on Sephora and came across Tarte's clay blushes. The colors are dupes for the gel blushes, except in powder... er, clay form. The same names still apply. This fascinates me because I la-love the color selection of their gel blushes but eh... cheek stains aren't for me. The sad part is, I made that realization four stains later. So far? I want them all. Don't worry, you read correctly. I want them ALL (being the little blush freak I am). I just wish they had Flower Child but I know it was a limited edition shade. For $25, you're getting a mere .2 oz. Is it worth it? I guess I'll have to find out, eh?

Benefit's Bella Bamba: A Quick Review!

So, I ordered Bella Bamba a few weeks ago. From looking at pictures online, it looked like the perfect pink. My idea of the perfect pink is a color that can suit cool and warm skin, light and and dark. Benefit describes it as "A watermelon-pink blush laced with shimmering gold undertones". They claim that it "creates the illusion of sculpted features". For $28 USD, you're getting .28 oz. of product versus their other collection of boxed powders which all have .35 oz. of product.

I think the packaging is very pretty and nice to look at. One of the first things I picked up on when I opened this was the watermelon scent. It's DELICIOUS! The blush itself is very pigmented. I mean, VERY pigmented! I can't stress that enough so use a light hand with this, especially if you're very pale. I found that this blush gave me a perfect flush. Looking at it in the pan or when it's swatched on my arm, you might think this would be way too shimmery but it doesn't transfer that way onto the face. Overall, it's a pretty color and I definitely recommend. Though, I do feel like the price is a little steep for a blush but you get a lot of product. 

MAC & Sephora Goodies :)

Yesterday, I picked up a few things at MAC from the Cham-Pale collection (now in stores and online in the US). I also saw the Stylishly Yours collection. I wasn't wowed by anything in particular, but overall, I liked what I saw. I'm a golden, sparkly, neutral lovin' woman so Cham-Pale was right up my alley. Then today, I received my package from Sephora.

Click the picture to zoom in

I'm sorry if the picture quality isn't fantastic but I'm using my backup camera until I get my baby back! So here's what I got:

Benefit - Bella Bamba

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ (Shade: 25)

MAC Special Reserve Highlight Powder in Rose Ole

MAC Fix+ Lavendar

MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20

I'm excited to test this stuff out, except for the foundation because I already know how fantastic it is. However, I would like to formally discuss in a future post my personal opinions on Mat Velvet+ versus the HD foundation. As for the Chromagraphic pencil, I wanted that sucker since Pret-A-Papier but it sold out before I could get my paws on it. I'm also interested in Fix+. From what I read, it's like a love / hate thing. I've never used it before but I hear that you either can't live without it or it's just nothing more than special water. I haven't used Bella Bamba yet, but it smells just like watermelon. Seriously, it's yummy! I was just surprised by how small it was compared to the other boxed powders. Last but not least, the highlight powder. Originally, I was going to buy both of them (the other being Chez Chez Lame) but I don't think it's worth having both. They're really pretty, but not essential. I think I was drawn in by the pretty design but I'll give you a better review when I try everything out. 

Top 5 MAC Blushes for Fall / Winter

Hello, lovelies! I'm in a surprisingly good mood considering it's Monday. Maybe it's because the weather is gorgeous and it's about 64 degrees, oh yes!

I wanted to share with you my top five favorite MAC blushes for fall / winter. Not all of these are your basic blushes. There's an MSF and two beauty powders as well. For this time of year, I tend to fancy colors that add warmth to my face because I'm very pale. However, when I'm doing a smoky eye look, I love cool colors that almost lean purple. Either way, I think all of these colors set the tone for the season.

1. Summer Rose Beauty Powder

2. Petticoat MSF

3. Peachykeen Sheertone Shimmer

4. Buddy Up (Too Fabulous)

5. Pinch Me Sheertone

What's your favorite blushes for fall / winter? Do tell! I'm sorry to say, but I have a blush fetish!!

Showing some love!

I have a lot of blushes, MAC blushes in particular. Because of that, I tend to go on 'rounds' with my blushes. I use one for a while, then say hello to the next, and so forth. I've finally come back around to Buddy Up from the Too Fabulous collection. This is limited edition, so it's no longer available. If you can pick it up at a CCO at a reasonable price, I'd go for it. It retailed for $23 USD and I saw it on allcosmeticswholesale.com today (an online CCO that carries a lot of high end brands, including MAC) but they're selling it for $32, which is a little obnoxious. 

Anyway, when you apply this blush (both colors swirled together), what you get is a lovely shade of plum with hints of red to it (I guess you could say it's a muted reddened plum... I'm lousy at describing colors). It's not glittery, it just has pretty hints of shimmer that isn't obvious or overbearing on the skin. I think it compliments cool and warm tones, fair and dark skin. For me, I have to use it lightly because I am so fair, but it's absolutely gorgeous. I think this is a great blush for fall / winter.

From the left: muted purpley color, reddish color, swirled together

So, what do you think of this blush? Do you have it?

**By the way....! So, did you read my review of the Superslick liner? If not, you can read my thoughts on it here. I wound up giving it to my friend. I tried it again, but it didn't work out. Not to say that it's bad, because I can see why people love it dearly, it just wasn't for me. I'll be sticking with my trusty Fluidlines. Have you tried it yet?

Birthday Goodies

So, I turned 22 this past Saturday, the 7th, and I had a very nice birthday with my boyfriend and daughter. Dinner, Netflix, a day of total relaxation -- just what I wanted / needed! I even got a few goodies that I've had on my wishlist for a while. Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but my daughter hasn't been feeling well since yesterday but she's napping now. Anyway, there's just a couple of things, so I'll do my best to keep this short and sweet =)

MAC 239 Brush

I like getting the MAC pamphlets in the mail =)

I feel like there are certain brushes that you just need to have duplicates of. For me, this includes the 239, 266, 168, and I'm sure there's another one that I can't think of at the moment...

NARS Angelika Blush

I had the most difficult time trying to capture the true color of this blush. Angelika is a cool blue-pink cotton candy color that looks very intense in the pan. This was the best I could get it, but the true color is more intense looking than this. 

Again, the true color is more intense. This is a very pigmented blush, so you have to be careful not to apply too much. Sometimes, I like to buff it out with a kabuki brush so it looks more subtle. Also, keep in mind that it doesn't look glittery on the skin!

NARS Lip Gloss in Dolce Vita & Striptease

I got these lip glosses using the code "TEMPTALIA" on narscosmetics.com (expires 8/15). The offer was originally for three individual mini lip glosses, but now they're offering the duo. I knew I'd love Dolce Vita but I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up loving Striptease too. On its own, I could never pull off Striptease because these kinds of neutrals wash me out, big time. When I dab it on my lips over a lipstick, like MAC Lazy Day (LE), I just really love the muted effect it offers. Both colors are beautiful! Also, there's free shipping on any order over $25 using the code, "25FREESHIP".... which almost everything is $25+ so it shouldn't be hard to become eligible (lol).

On a side note, I know a lot of people don't like NARS lip glosses because of the "smell". I'd like to add that I think the smell is so faint, it's dismissable. Then again, when I like something enough, I never let those things offend me.

China Glaze: Ruby Pumps

This color is gorgeous. So unbelievably gorgeous. I haven't tried it out yet, but I'll take pictures when I do.

Last, but certainly not least......

The NAKED PALETTE!

I purchased this online from Ulta last Monday and just got it two days ago. In my opinion, this truly lives up to the hype. The colors are gorgeous. I love neutrals of almost any kind. This palette is fun, the colors are gorgeous, and the possibilities are endless. I'm going to dedicate a whole post to this palette when I get to try out more looks with it and I'll post them. I'll also include swatches in the post as well. I was going to do it today, but my boyfriend and a bunch of guys are framing out an addition to our house so I would've felt a little silly walking around with my camera and an arm full of eye shadow. I did swatch the liners though!

Whiskey on top, Zero on the bottom

Isn't it GORGEOUS?!

July Favorites

This past month has flown by so quickly! My daughter celebrated her FIRST birthday on the 20th of July and I'm happy but so sad at the same time. My little girl is growing up so fast!

My little monster<3

Anyway, I definitely have a few favorites that I've been using almost everyday in July...

NARS Primer

This has been a favorite of mine since I got it in May. I've been through so many primers and when I got this, I didn't even think I'd like it -- but I love it. I feel like this deserves a review.

Lazy Day Lipstick (Lustre)

Lazy  Day is from the 'To The Beach' collection. It's a milky-cool pink. On it's own, I don't care for it because it makes me look sort of sickly. If I line with Subculture first, it warms up the color a bit, making it very pretty and wearable. Lining with Subculture has the same effect when I use VG Gaga, too.

MAC Subculture Lip Liner

As of now, it's my favorite liner EVER!

Tare Cheek Stain: Flower Child

I went on a cheek stain craze this past winter. I'm over the phase, but I still love Flower Child for my lips. It's a golden rosy-pink. The beauty with cheek stains is that they have the ability to give you an overall natural glow and a light flush -- that 'just pinched' look. I have five of them, and this is my favorite. Though the taste is quite repulsive, I don't let it offend me. Also, the consistency of this stain differs from the others -- probably because this one has shimmer to it. This was limited edition and it's discontinued, but there's still a wide variety to choose from at Sephora. Tarte's cheek stains retail for $30 USD (keep in mind that you get a lot of product).

A few swatches...

Flower Child

By the way, I like these a lot for summer -- for those days when all you need is some tinted moisturizer and concealer.

MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder

I bought this from the Liberty of London collection. For a beauty powder, it's quite pigmented. I can't say this would show up well on darker skin tones, but as a pasty princess, this works well as a blush. 

                                                                  

Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

I've had this for a while. I probably got it from Sephora during the winter. It went in the drawer and didn't come out until a few weeks ago. It has a nice sugary scent and a taste to match. The tint is sheer, but yet it has a nice color payoff. My only complaint is the hefty price tag. While I love this now and will continue to use it, I'm not sure I'd repurchase it again. $22.50 USD is a lot of money for a tinted lip conditioner!

As you can see, the month of July was all about lips for me!

P.S.: My skin has gotten so dry! NOT a sexy look! If anyone knows of good products for SUPER dry skin, do tell! For now, I'll see how this drinking water thing works out. Thanks =)

MAC In The Groove: Hang Loose

MAC is always terrorizing me with free shipping, so I caved. Don't they know I'm an addict?! Well, I suppose that's why they offered the free shipping. I only got one thing, since I've been on a crazy spending spree the last few months and my little peanut is celebrating her first birthday on Tuesday! She's crazy into Dora the Explorer, so we'll be making a pit stop to Toys 'R' Us later. Anyway...

I bought one of the mineralized blush duos, which I originally had no intention of getting. I've been wanting 'I Like It Like That' (Cremesheen), but I opted for this instead. I picked 'Hang Loose', which (to me) is an intimidating combination of pink and shimmery purple. The pink is very similar to a blush from MAC's permanent line, Well Dressed. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about having purple on my face, so I looked at swatches online and realized that I *NEEDED* to have this. 

The swatch on the farthest left is the purple, the middle is just the pink, and on the farthest right, they're both swirled together. I suggest using a light hand with this. Don't underestimate it because it's so light and dainty looking; it's very pigmented and easy to go overboard with! I'll update this later with a picture of me wearing it.