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Product Review: almay intense i-color smoky-i kit

February 24, 2011 By

So Kate Hudson looks absolutely gorgeous in her new ads for Almay, am I right? Well, she is gorgeous anyway but I have definitely been giving Almay more attention then I had in the past. I did a review over on The Fashionable Gal about the Almay wake-up makeup (which I looooooove) and just recently decided to try the intense i-color smoky kit because I want to achieve the radiance that Kate Hudson exudes… or at least what I can muster! Guess what? I LOVED it too! It comes in shades designed for your eye color, is easy to apply and lasted all my workday long. Not only that? My eyes POPPED! My blue eyes are usually pretty fierce but this eyeshadow definitely took it up a notch!

  • expertly coordinated shades complement your natural eye color to maximize the intensity
  • lightweight powder formula applies smoothly and blends effortlessly
  • soft pearl finish
  • eye color is intensified and brightened
  • crease-proof
  • all day wear
  • hypoallergenic
  • ophthalmologist tested

Filed Under: Celebrity Styles, Eyeshadow, Foundation, Makeup, Recommended, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Quick and Easy Beauty Tips for a Better You

February 18, 2011 By

I love checking out quick and easy tricks to add to my beauty regime. The easier the better; you can learn them quick and adopt them even quicker! I had to share some of the tips that my favorites at Marie Claire have put out there and paired those tips with some of my favorite products!

TIP

Trying to look like you had your 8 hours when you tossed and turned all night? Avoid piling on the thick foundation. Use a tinted moisturizer instead, followed by maybe a beige eye pencil — it counteracts any redness and puffiness around your eyes. My suggestion? Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint SPF 15, $27.00

TIP

For full lips go for a glossy look, Yum! Try first outlining the perimeter of your lips using a concealer brush dipped in bronzer two shades deeper than your skin tone. Then, top pout with gold, peach, or coral gloss. Mmmmmm, I like Cover Girl Raspberry Wet Slicks Fruit Spritzers, $5.99

TIP

This is a tip on making your smallish eyes, open right up! You’ll want to  stay away from dark eyeshadows out there. Start with a nude base shadow, then apply shadow a shade or two darker than the base to your crease and use your finger to blend the color up toward your eyebrow. All in one favorite, Jane Iredale Perfectly Nude Eyeshadow Kit, $52.oo, makes this an easy trick!

TIP

When you are covering up blemishes, make sure you choose the color for what you are covering up. For example, orange-tinged concealers combat blueish under-eye circles. A mint-green concealer hides the redness of a pimple or blemish. The idea is that concealers act as neutralizers. When I have a nasty looking blemish, I attack it with Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Redness Concealer, $20.00

TIP

I had to be converted to toner but now that I have been, I am a loyal user. To sop up oil and refresh makeup, lightly mist your face with toner, then pat with a tissue. You then can finish with a dusting of  your favorite loose powder. My first and overall favorite toner has to be Aveda All Sensitive Toner, $25.00

Filed Under: Beauty, Eyeshadow, Fashion Advice, Foundation, Lip Gloss, Makeup, Makeup Palettes, Personal Care, Recommended Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sigma Makeup Brushes-Review

November 14, 2010 By

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the look-out for the hottest beauty products around.

About Sigma

Sigma Makeup is a company with products designed to exceed your every expectation. Sold only online, Sigma brings you phenomenal products with all the performance and glam you’d expect from those “big-name” companies-at a fraction of the cost! They pride themselves with excellent customer service and lightening-fast shipping on incredible brushes, girly mirrors and storage solutions for your new investments. Keep an eye on Sigma Makeup-this company is sure to make a fabulous name for themselves.
The Products

I was sent the Complete Brush Set with a brush roll in Black, the Hollywood Glamour kit in Princess Grace and the Travel Brush Kit in Pink. I was immediately impressed with the 2-day shipping and beautiful packaging. Each purchase comes with a pamphlet describing company goals and how to use each brush-perfect for beginners! The brushes are gorgeous and nearly exact duplicates of brushes you’d find at the MAC counter. Each brush does exactly what they’re made to do-and beautifully! The bristles are extremely soft, which is perfect for those of us with sensitive skin. The travel size is perfect to stash in your purse or for weekend trips and fits perfectly into the Glamour makeup bags!

My Recommendations

I think Sigma brushes are a great personal investment, but would also be wonderful gifts for birthdays, Christmas, bridesmaids, etc. Now, you can even build your own brush kit! Here are a few of my favorite brushes:

-F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki-I can’t begin to describe the flawless look you’ll achieve by using this brush with your foundation! Works like a dream with powder or liquid, giving you an airbrushed look! Incredible!

-F30 Large Powder Brush-So wonderful for setting powder or blush. Spreads product perfectly.

-Hollywood Glamour Retractable Kabuki-You can load product on it in the morning, pop the top on and touch up your blush on the go! So cute, so girly-you’ll turn heads with this convenient brush!

-E40 Tapered Blending Brush-This brush is a staple in any collection. Great for placing color on the brow bone or blending color into your crease.

-E20 Short Shader Brush-This short-bristle brush packs color on your lid right where you want it.

Wrap-Up

Sigma Makeup has, as they say, exceeded my expectations. I plan on expanding my collection even more in the near future with their new brushes and bedazzled heart-shaped mirrors. For years, I used those cheapy sponge-tip applicators you get in a compact and never knew what I was missing. Sigma Makeup has forever changed the way I do my makeup!

Feedback

-Had you heard of Sigma Makeup before this post?

-Have you tried their products? If not, which would you be most interested in trying?

Filed Under: Accessories, Beauty, Cheeks, Eye Liner, Eyeshadow, Foundation, Makeup, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Review: L’Oreal Paris True Match Roller Perfecting Roll On Makeup

June 30, 2010 By

I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials for L’Oreal True Match Roller Perfecting Roll On Makeup by now, right? I have to admit… they have some pretty clever marketing! Whoever is doing the commercials for L’Oreal deserves a raise because everytime I see one of their commercials, I want to try their products!

This one really intrigued me…

True Match Roller Perfecting Roll On Makeup delivers perfectly even coverage and the ultimate air-brushed finish thanks to its innovative roller applicator and incredibly flexible formula. This beauty breakthrough applicator adapts to the curves of the face as it gently and smoothly applies the True Match Roller foundation formula for a completely natural look. It’s convenient, portable and incredibly easy to apply. Available in 12 skin-matching shades, it follows the same warm, neutral and cool skin tone and numeric depth level shade matching system beloved by women and makeup artists everywhere.

L’Oreal sent me the makeup in 2 different shades to review. I didn’t get to pick which shade I wanted, so I was nervous about the color. I went ahead and tried it anyway, before I walked out the door one day, and luckily it was the perfect shade for me!

The application is amazing. SO much better than pumping it out and spreading it on with your fingers… It rolls on smoothly and looks flawless. I’ve never had ANY makeup foundation apply like this ever. It’s a little tricky to maneuver the roller around your eye area, but after 2 or 3 uses, you’ll figure it out and be applying it like a pro.

This isn’t long lasting without a primer, so I recommend prepping your face with either Urban Decay “Pore Perfecting” Face Primer or MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microperfecting Primer. Both work great with this makeup from my experiences.

Price: $14.95

Available at www.lorealparis.com and chain drug, food and mass market retailers like Drugstore.com.

Have you tried L’Oreal True Match Roll On Makeup yet? Is it something you’d be interested in?

Filed Under: Foundation, Makeup Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Redness Relief Powder from gloSkincare

June 2, 2010 By

The new gloSkincare redness relief powder visibly reduces redness and irritation from rosacea, acne, waxing, chemical/microderm treatments or even sunburns on the skin’s surface with soothing ingredients including: honey suckle, zinc oxide, licorice, caffeine and glo’s exclusive blend of antioxidants including Vitamin A, C, E and green tea extract.

  • Beneficial for patients after chemical and microderm treatments.
  • Can be worn daily to reduce the appearance of surface redness.
  • Recommended for all skin types, even the most sensitive, acne-prone and Rosacea skin.

Use: Can be worn alone, under or over foundation and be re-applied throughout the day as needed.

I received a jar of the redness relief powder to test and review a couple weeks ago. Being someone with almost chronic acne for most of my life, even when I’m not having a breakout or acne flareup, I still have a red face which leaves me wanting to cover it up.

On special occasions, I usually use CoverGirl liquid foundation ($9) but it’s not something I want to put on every single day, especially in the summer. So the rest of the time, I’ve been using Benefit ‘Bluff Dust’ powder concealer ($22). While I like the initial coverage it gives me, it doesn’t last long on my oily face.

The gloSkincare redness relief powder ($25) is very similar to Benefit Bluff Dust, but it lasts longer and is lighter weight too. I also found that I don’t have to worry about it clogging my pores and giving me another acne breakout, like the Bluff Dust sometimes does.

I would definitely recommend it even though it’s a few dollars more for a slightly smaller jar than Benefit Bluff Dust. It’s lighter weight and seems to last longer on my oily skin.

PRICE: $25

BUY IT: gloskincare.com

Filed Under: Acne, Foundation, Makeup Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Get a Flawless Complexion like SATC’s Kristin Davis!

May 20, 2010 By

There’s a trick to looking camera ready, even in these days of bright lights and HD cameras. Have you ever had your picture taken with a 1080p camera? It’s not always the best experience… especially if you have dark circles, blemishes or sun spots.

So, how did Kristin Davis get her perfectly put together look on-camera?

Sex and the City 2 Make Up Artist Nicki Ledermann used MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation #155 to get Kristin Davis’ flawless on-camera complexion.

High definition imagery shows pictures that are six times as sharp as previous, softer grained images, so HD Invisible Cover Foundation was designed to hide fine lines and wrinkles, skin imperfections and shine, which can all look more obvious under an HD lens, while remaining extremely natural looking and invisible to the eye on-screen.

You can get Make Up for Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation at Sephora!

Filed Under: Beauty, Foundation, Makeup Tagged With: , , , ,

OBSESSION ALERT: Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion

April 28, 2010 By

Ugh, I never even thought of a make-up primer, not at least until a friend mentioned to me that she uses it and her foundation goes on flawlessly. One of my biggest pet peeves about the relationship that my face has with a foundation is that sometimes they just don’t get along. I mean it depends on the day whether my face is feeling friendly and hydrated or if we are cranky and crusty. Nothing makes me feel less attractive then when I feel like I am wearing my makeup like Spackle on dry wall.

I go to ULTA Beauty (one of my faves as it should be one of yours) on a mission for primer. The kind and helpful woman shows me a variety of different options. I knew I found my match when I met the Urban Decay Primer Potion- Pore Perfecting. Just a dab on my hand and it reminded me of when Meryl Streep a la Death Becomes Her looks at her hands; one is old and wrinkly and one looks youthful and baby soft.  I was sold.

My favorite things about this product? It doesn’t let me waste. Sometimes in application of “my face” I spill, I squeeze too much… I can be wasteful with my make-up. This tube allows for portion control (brilliant!) so that I’ll only use what I need. I will say that the tube looks rather small when you first take a gander. Trust me when I say a little goes a long way. This primer does not leave a film or make you feel like you are caking the layers on. Light weight for sure and makes your face look and feel like you had it air brushed. Yes, please.

Take it from me, the girl who cringes at the prices on higher priced cosmetics, that this product is worth every penny of the $30 price tag. I am OBSESSED!

Filed Under: Face, Fashion Advice, Foundation, Makeup, Personal Care, Recommended, Skin Care Tagged With: , , ,