Recently, Sephora did their 15% VIB sale, and I went a little mad by buying some new purchases. I wanted to share with you the things I got, and it's already been a few days since I've been trying them. There are definite loves from this pile, and a few that I'm a little meh about - but the in-depth reviews will come later :)
Showing posts with label Nars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nars. Show all posts
Sephora Haul⎪Dior, MUFE, Origins
4:00 PM
Oh, nothing new. Just another haul from Sephora. That store is a killer I tell you! But I wasn't too crazy. I bought just what I had in mind.
First up, eye cream. I'm reaching the later parts of my twenties. Eye cream was never a thing, but I did put it on once in awhile. But recently, I mean within the past year, I've noticed fine lines?!?! My foundation would just set in these fine lines and I'd rub in my foundation - and then it'd appear again! I really did see dryness under my eyes but I didn't think too much about it, until now.
After cruising around Sephora I settled for Dior's HydraLife Pro-Youth Sorbet Eye Creme. What I loved about it? It felt super hydrating and my skin felt replenished. I'll have to see how I get along with it and whether it helps with the fine lines. I'll keep you notified!
Then, foundation. I've used up my Nars Sheer Glow foundation. I love, love that foundation to pieces. But I was reminded about the Make Up For Ever HD foundation (shade 120) - something I used baaaackkk in the days. I remembered it worked well with my oily skin, but I'll have to see how I get along with this now.
Then, finally a mask. I'll talk about it in my February Favorites - but I am re-wow-ing with the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal mask. I had forgotten how effective this mask is!!! The small little bumps on my face cleared. Now I remember why I went tube after tube of this before.
On that note, I realize my foundation and fragrance posts are the most popular on my blog. I'll try to experiment with more foundations and keep you notified if there are some good ones on the radar. Give me some recommendations of what some of your favorite foundations are!
First up, eye cream. I'm reaching the later parts of my twenties. Eye cream was never a thing, but I did put it on once in awhile. But recently, I mean within the past year, I've noticed fine lines?!?! My foundation would just set in these fine lines and I'd rub in my foundation - and then it'd appear again! I really did see dryness under my eyes but I didn't think too much about it, until now.
After cruising around Sephora I settled for Dior's HydraLife Pro-Youth Sorbet Eye Creme. What I loved about it? It felt super hydrating and my skin felt replenished. I'll have to see how I get along with it and whether it helps with the fine lines. I'll keep you notified!
Then, foundation. I've used up my Nars Sheer Glow foundation. I love, love that foundation to pieces. But I was reminded about the Make Up For Ever HD foundation (shade 120) - something I used baaaackkk in the days. I remembered it worked well with my oily skin, but I'll have to see how I get along with this now.
Then, finally a mask. I'll talk about it in my February Favorites - but I am re-wow-ing with the Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal mask. I had forgotten how effective this mask is!!! The small little bumps on my face cleared. Now I remember why I went tube after tube of this before.
On that note, I realize my foundation and fragrance posts are the most popular on my blog. I'll try to experiment with more foundations and keep you notified if there are some good ones on the radar. Give me some recommendations of what some of your favorite foundations are!
January Favorites⎪Makeup Highlights
6:57 PM
It's a little late, so even though I'm posting this as "January Favorites", it's more like makeup that I've been enjoying recently.
I kept the usual ones out of this post because I mention them all the time, products like Estee Lauder Maximum Cover foundation or my Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil. I wanted to add new favorites and products I haven't mentioned in awhile.
Products I've been loving for a long time but haven't mentioned recently: Perfekt Brow Perfection Gel. I love this stuff. Another long time favorite is the Nars lipstick in the shade Honolulu Honey. It really is a beautiful peach nude that works well with my skin tone. (See the swatch here) Love, love it! And finally, this product isn't "new" in that I've already featured it on my blog here but it is fairly a new discovery so I thought I'd best mention it. It is the BeautyBlender makeup applicator.
As for new products, I have quite a few - ones I have never mentioned on my blog before.
You know I've been obsessed with primers right? I mean just the past year, I've used three different kinds of primers for the face. And even still, if I hear about a good primer, I am willing to try it. They make all the difference in the world when it comes to how you look throughout the day. This really cute packaged primer called Egg Pore smooth balm from TonyMoly is a pretty darn good primer! It is meant to be used where you are oily and where your pores are visible. It has a tightening effect because of the egg that they use. It also contains other ingredients that helps clear the skin as well as keeping the makeup on. The egg and camellia extracts controls sebum and oil production. Because it is a balm type, it is amazing in smoothing over bumps, pores, and wrinkles! Above all else, it smooths the face and keeps makeup lasting long and that's what makes it pretty amazing. You can get this on Amazon.
Another new product that I've been in love with is Chanel's "Inimitable Waterproof" mascara. Oh goodness, where do I begin with this mascara? I guess I'll begin by saying that I love that it keeps my curls on... all day. I have thick straight lashes. I don't even expect my eyelashes to curl, let alone, stay curled. The last time a mascara kept my curls was the ByTerry mascara that they stopped selling. After that one exorbitant priced mascara, I went back to be okay with straight lashes. But then, I discovered this and just was amazed. Read the review here.
A lip product that I'll do a separate post about is the HolikaHolika Waterproof Tint Stick. This thing is something I've never tried before - a tint that takes things to another level. Really. You'll have to take my word for it until I write an in-depth review because... it's that good.
Finally, an eye palette that I love because of its versatile use is the Pony x Memebox Palette 1. I love that some of the shades can be used for contouring and even brows. You can create so many looks with this one palette. You can read more about it here.
The Best of 2014 Beauty⎪Makeup & Skincare
4:37 PM
It's the end of 2014. How crazy is it that the year is almost over? I have a lot of things going on next year and I'm both nervous and excited for what's to come. Before I introduce my 2014 beauty favorites, I wanted to wish all of my dear readers a Happy New Year! I hope great blessings will come in 2015 and that you will be filled with happiness and joy :)
It's been awhile since I've uploaded a video on my Youtube channel. There a lot of reasons. After filming just two in front of the camera, I felt I wasn't really a Youtube-y person, and that I felt more comfortable communicating with readers on my blog. That being said though, I do at times still enjoy talking to a camera than typing away in front of a screen.
Since it is the last video of 2014, I thought it'd be easier for you to go through my beauty faves with my face actually on the screen than just my hands. So I've pulled out my camera and filmed in front of it. Please give the video a thumbs up if you've enjoyed it so I'll know this was a good idea or not! (ha!)
But for those of you who aren't fond of videos, I'm listing my faves here for you. Click on the names to read the reviews. I've linked it so it is easier to access them!
MAKEUP
Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover
Primers: Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder, Benefit Porefessional
Concealers: Collection 2000 concealer, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
Eyebrow: Hourglass Arch Sculpting Brow
Eyeliner: Jouer Shimmering Liquid Eyeliner in Leopard
Blush: Nars The Multiple in Rivera
Lips: Giorgio Armani lip liner in No.6, YSL Rouge Shine Volupte
Eyeshadows: MAC Soba, Laura Mercier Gilded Rosegold
Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes
Contour and Highlight: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow
Nails: Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow, Essie Fishnet Stockings
SKINCARE
Dr. Jart+ Cermidin Liquid and Cream
ISOI Bulgarian Rose Blemish Serum
Nars The Multiple⎪Riviera
5:34 PM
The shade Riviera is a sheer shimmering pink. These Multiple sticks have a slight shimmer in them, which works as an illuminator factor. I've been loving the whole dewy glow makeup, and I hate to put powder on the cheeks especially because that's where I think a bit of flush and glow really need to come through. With the glow-y foundation I use, I like to use this product to add the perfect amount of color and shine to my cheeks.
The shade is beautiful. I mentioned this in my October Favorites but basically, it gives you that winter flush. I find it looks so natural and pretty.
And just know that although it is a cream, it is super long-lasting and it really does stay put. I've tried other cream blushes that kind of melt and swirl all over my face, but this thing is lovely. It stays put and the color power remains throughout the day!
October Favorites
8:45 AM
There is one product though, that I want to feature. It's a repurchase, and it just might be a staple item for me. It is the ISOI Blemish Care Serum from their Bulgarian rose line. By now, if you are an avid reader of mine that is, you'll know that I truly appreciate Bulgarian rose. They do wonders for the skin. I have an immediate respect for products that use this rose because I know how good it is.
The ISOI Blemish Care Serum has helped my skin stay supple and hydrated while treating the blemishes and scars I have. It feels so lightweight, almost as if it doesn't do anything. But without it, my skin becomes coarse and it produces so much more oil. I just love this stuff!
I've also been loving two primers together. Days when I really need my makeup to stay and last, and also on those days where my skin is producing way too much oil (ew but true), I combine the Hourglass mineral veil with the Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder. I lay one on top of the other, in any order. Sometimes I do the powder first, sometimes I do the liquid primer first. Either way, it helps my makeup last! Read about the MB powder here.
Another face product I've really come to enjoy is the Hera UV Mist Cushion in the shade no.23. I asked my mom to pick this up for me while she was in South Korea. I know you can get it here in the US, but I thought it might be cheaper. I've been using this along with the Innisfree one and I'm still undecided as to which one is better. Right now, I'm going to go with the Hera one. I can't pinpoint why, but I do love the glow it gives my face-- and just the look that I am awake, ready, and fresh while not making my face look like I have "makeup" on. It really gives a natural coverage and natural glow! I'll talk more about these cushion foundations, but it something I recommend you look into! They are amazing :) Read my Korean-beauty haul post here.
Something I've been wearing on my cheeks to add to the glow and freshness is the Nars Stick in "Riviera". It's perfect for that winter flush. It helps the makeup again, look "natural". Unlike a powder, this cream stick blends so nicely on the face and it lasts really long! I love the natural shimmer it gives, and the shade is so a pretty flush! You can use these sticks for cheeks, lips, and eyes. All around, a total must-have!
A product meant for the cheeks but what I use on my eyes is the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer. This is honestly a beauty blogger induced item. I remember when I first saw Tanya Burr wear this in one of her videos. She always makes everything look perfect, doesn't she? But recently, she used this one her eyes to get that grundgy look without having to get a separate eyeshadow. It looks amazing. So I gave it a try, and I absolutely love it. For a natural look, I'll keep the shade just on my lids. If I want that full-on grundge, I'll apply some of the color on the bottom of lids. It smokes out the eye. Add mascara and you're ready to go!
An eyeliner I'll always repurchase is the Jouer liquid eyeliner. I've tried tons, but this one is the best. Do I recommend it for everyone? No not really because it might be hard to work with. But for some reason, I love the way it looks on my eyes. I can't even pinpoint what's so special about it! Yet, I keep looking in the mirror and loving how my eyeliner looks. That means something, right?
Another Jouer product is their lipgloss in the shade "wind". Beautiful, beautiful nude shade to lay on top of a nude lipstick. No stickiness. Hydrating. Beautiful shade. Read my Jouer Haul post here.
Another lip product is a Korean brand from "It's Skin" called "Babyface". Their lipsticks (and cheek products) are really cool. Cool as in, a consistency I can't quite describe. They bounce and seem like jelly?! They must have used some gel formula because they seem really bouncy. I love their lipstick in the shade no.5 because though it looks like a hot pink, it gives off a pretty pink on the lips. It is super moisturizing, and again, it makes your lips look like gel. I'm really bad at describing this, aren't I? Point is, it's cool! (and pretty).
Phew, finally. NAILS. This super sophisticated perfect Fall red... is from Essie. Shade name is: Fishnet stockings. I'm sure you've all heard of it. It looks like a lady's shade to me! A really sophisticated red shade.
Mini Sephora Haul⎪NARS, URBAN DECAY, KAT VON D
2:01 PM
I caved. I went and got a Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade "Custard", after trying to make "Vanilla" work. Though "Vanilla" does a great job in instant brightening, it sometimes feels a bit too much, like I've overdone my makeup. I prefer the more subtle, less Kim-K, highlighting. Hence, I went for custard which is a more yellow-tone shade. I love their concealer because they do not budge! Sometimes it almost feels waterproof in how it maintains its grip all throughout the day, in the summer too!
I'm out of liquid eyeliners. I've used up all the ones I had, and I've been missing the precise en pointe liner-look. I've tried the Kat Von D Tattoo eyeliner my sister had. Loved it, but I kept to what I had just to finish what I had first. Then, when time was due, I headed straight for this one. It reminds me of the Korean-type eyeliners-- precise, intense, and fine-brushed.
Then, I've been eyeing the Urban Decay's velvet 24/7 eyeliners for quite some time. I refrained because I have enough 24/7 eyeliners to finish up. Still, something about that intense velvety finish always drew me in. After refraining myself from buying them, I was passing by Sephora's infamous sample line, and voila! They had three of the exact shades I wanted to try from their velvet line!! Perversion, Sabbath, and Smoke. That dark navy blue though... seriously beautiful. If I had green or blue eyes, I'd wear this shade all the time!
I have to say, I've been using these products ever since I got them. I threw away the Sephora receipt because I knew I'd be keeping them all :)
BEAUTY HAUL • skincare, makeup, haircare, and nails!
7:16 PM
I waited about a month for all these products to finally come in the mail! But now, since they are all here I thought it was about time to please your eyes with these beauty goodies. I did film a Beauty Haul video but (personal note begins here...) I am hesitant about continuing my Youtube channel. If you are a subscriber, I think you could still see the video but I may close my account soon... still thinking about it.
But as for blogging, I really enjoy it so I'm definitely continuing this! So, on that long note, I wanted to share with you the products I've recently bought. I'm going to post a more detailed review of each of these product when I get the time, but I've swatched some of them for your viewing pleasures haha :)
High-End Makeup
My most exciting purchase was the YSL rouge volupté shine lipsticks. Guys, I'm still new to YSL lipsticks, and little did I know about their different lipstick ranges. But recently, I've become so intrigued by their line and I really wanted to know what was best for me. Because I am someone who loves bold colors but finds so little time to wear them, I wanted something with medium pigmentation that has a slightly sheer finish so it wouldn't be too off-setting when I wear them around. So, YSL has their "rouge volupté sheer candy" and their normal "rouge volupté" and then, the "rouge volupté shine". Their "sheer candy" line was something I was most interested in, but found that they really are super duper sheer. So much that I found it pointless to even get them. The regular "rouge volupté" is a richly pigmented lipstick. It is very creamy and moisturizing, but it also pretty dense.
The "sheer" version of that is the ones I got in the number 19 and 14. No. 19 is my current obsession. You know I have a thing for purple lipsticks. The fuchsia lipstick from the YSL matte line looked a bit too cherry and not purple enough. But the rouge volupté shine no.19 is that beautiful true purple shade that I was looking for! It seriously looks so flattering. What I love about these lipsticks are that even if the colors are bold, you can wear them without fear that they are too in your face. They are subtle but rich at the same time. And goodness, they are also super moisturizing, and the color stay? Amazing.
No. 14 is a coral-pink shade. One can't have too many of these right? Beautiful, and always out of stock, I finally got my hands on these. Just a good fresh pop o' color, you know?
I also picked up the NARS Creamy Radiant concealer in the shade vanilla. I wanted "custard" but the lady at the Nars counter insisted I get "vanilla" which is a lighter shade than "custard". I caved and got the "vanilla" soon finding that the color "custard" actually may be the better match! HUMPH. But in terms of formulation, it is pretty amazing. I am in love with the Collection 2000 concealers, and thank goodness I now found Nars because it's a perfect replacement, I must say!
DRUGSTORE Makeup:
From the drugstore, I picked up two makeup bits and two haircare bits. For makeup, I got one L'Oreal MagicLumi under eye concealer shade 862, and a L'Oreal Telescopic Liquid Eyeliner in black.
HAIR CARE:
For hair, I got my forever-repurchase L'Oreal Damage Repair Erase Balm (read it here), and It's a 10 miracle-leave-in hair product. It's a new one, but I'm hoping I'll love it!
SKINCARE.
You know I love Mario Badescu so when the opportunity comes, I'l stock up on what I love. I got my favorite toner Cucumber Cleansing Lotion and a new toner I wanted to try, Glycolic Acid Toner. Then I got the Dry Cream I love so much and the Enzyme Revitalizing Mask that seems like a good everyday mask. I also got a good well-rounded moisturizer called Buttermilk Moisturizer and I also got a newbie, Hylauronic Emulsion w/ Vitamin C which sounded like my two favorite skincare ingredients merged into one!
NAILS.
Ok, so I went a little cray you know? I do have a lot of nail polishes, but I wasn't feeling any of them. I splurged on some Topshop nail polishes. They have such cute packaging. The shades I got:
| left to right: fly trap venus, carnival, mannequin, threadbare, tidal, rainy day, varsity, parma violet |
My Cult NARS Lipsticks
6:32 PM
I was organizing my lipstick collection when I was looking through my Nars lipsticks and thought I don't really talk about them, and felt I should have a blogpost dedicating it to my cult faves from their lipstick collection. I don't have a lot of shades, but I do have one of each kind of color (a nude, a pink, a cherry, and violet)-- and I feel that really is enough. I love the shades I have, and I've repurchased them loads. And even though I love them, you know how they've become so normal for you that you find you forget to feature them in blogposts and videos? Well, that's the case with these lipsticks. I genuinely love them!
The four shades I want to share with you are: Full Frontal , Honolulu Honey , Funny Face , Roman Holiday.
I don't think the picture came out true to color. That's the thing about lipsticks. Sometimes, they are hard to capture their true shades. And again, colors look different for each skin color.
Full Frontal - seriously, NARS has some names for these lipsticks. Anyway, these limited edition lipstick is such a beautiful purple/violet lipstick. It is really purple -- not fuchsia or cherry-toned, or any of that. It is a true purple violet and I find it so flattering and different from other lipstick shades that attempt at a purple but fail by making them too pastel, too red, too pale, or too dark. I find this to be a perfect blend, and I do hope they make this a permanent collection!
Honolulu Honey - yellow-toned girls, this one is for you. A beautiful nude shade that blends like cream with your skin tone. It is more natural than say MAC's "Shy Girl". It's a gorgeous nude that is hydrating and easy to use.
Funny Face - this is the kind of fuchsia you want. As I was saying before, this is that blend of cherry-red and blue-toned purple. The color is very complex I have to say. In the pictures, it may look pretty red but it really has more dimension than that. I would think that different tones of the lipstick shade would shine through under different lightings. If you look close at the lipstick, you'll see the pearly blue-toned purple! This is on the more intensely-pigmented side of their lipsticks. It is super, super pigmented and it literally tattoos the lips.
Roman Holiday - guys, really. I've bought this lipstick four times. FOUR TIMES. And, that's after using each lipstick to the very very bottom. Can you tell how much I love this lipstick. It is a pink that Audrey Hepburn would wear. Something feminine, something soft, something classic, and something PINK. It is a light pink, but it's not too pale that it'd wash you out. I love it so, and the formulation is similar to Honolulu Honey. Creamy, hydrating, and pigmented (but not as intense as Funny Face).
The Best of PRIMERS.
7:06 AM
I wear primers all four seasons, but if you're going to choose only two season when you're going to wear primers it might as well be spring and summer. Hotter months mean more sweat, more oil, and perhaps leading to more makeup wearing off throughout the day.
I've picked the best of all primers, the ones that really do the job of keep your makeup looking intact and fresh as long as your skin will hold. I've got two for the face, and one for the eyes.
Hourglass Mineral Veil Oil-Free Primer (SPF15)
Self-explanatory product. It is what it says it is. This stuff is truly amazing, and worth the splurge. I began with a sample, moved on to the $18 smaller bottle. Now, I've gone through a big 1oz. bottle and moved into a JUMBO sized 2oz. It's that good. This white almost "slippery" substance somehow keeps your makeup on the whole day. I'm not going to say it helps the skin stay necessarily matte the whole time, but even when you put your skin of oil (by either oil-blotting paper or powder), this primer will help your makeup stay on even while you pat the oil off your face. It keeps your skin looking velvety.
This Works "In Transit Camera Closeup"
I'm obsessed with this brand, but that aside. This is some miracle product. It promises a 3-1 job: moisturizer, mask, and primer. It's meant to help your skin stay pampered during flights when your skin can get patchy and dry, so much that even when you land and you're "papped" you still look camera-ready good.
We may not all be paparazzi-ed but there's nothing bad about trying to look camera-ready all the time. It's been awhile since I've had this product, but it's not been recently that I've really tried it out for days on end. This is very different from the Hourglass primer mentioned above in that this product is very dewy and tightening. After my skincare, I take about two pumps of this product and spread it evenly and gently all over my face. I make sure not to rub this in (don't rub primers into the skin, let them set on the skin!). Once you put it all over, you'll feel your skin feeling hydrated, dewy, and also tight.
Once you feel that the primer has been completely absorbed, then that's when you can move on to your foundation. Make sure you wait until the product has been absorbed, so that you don't feel any wetness on your skin. It should be soft and velvety.
This has helped my skin look very fresh throughout the day. I also love using this when my skin is especially tired-looking and feeling dehydrated. This is a skincare-type primer, so for those with problem skin, this may be a goodie!
NARS Eyeshadow Primer
I've blogged about this amazing product before as well. I haven't tried too many eyeshadows, but when I compare this eye primer with the famous Urban Decay eye potion, the NARS beats the eye potion by a million miles.
Much like the Hourglass primer, this also feels velvety and a bit "slippery". How these things work like magic is something of another story. You take a pea-size amount of product and dab in on each eyelid. Then you spread it evenly and gently all over the lid. Wait maybe three seconds and apply your eye makeup (you can wait even longer, doesn't matter).
I swear by this thing. Your eyeshadows will not oxidize, changing colors and making them dull. It won't crease, it won't melt, and it just won't budge. I recommend this to everyone, even if they don't have super oily lids because it'll help the vibrancy of your eyeshadows!
****
I'm still a bit clueless as how these products help makeup last. I know they somehow attach your makeup to the primer, and primer somehow attaches to your skin a certain way-- but as to how that works is beyond me. What I do know is that even if the product looks "slippery", it'll help your makeup from slipping off your face.
Powered by Blogger.

