NARS And God Created the Woman Eyeshadow Set

$59     Eyeshadows 0.03 oz / 1 g x 6 | Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base 0.09 oz / 2.8 g

Ingredients: (Smudge Proof Base) Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Carbonate, Peg-40 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sera Alba (Beeswax), Phenoxyethanol, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran Oil Extract), Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Castor Oil Phosphate, Sea Whip Extract, Mica, Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77163 Bismuth Oxychloride)

Availability: eBay

This set came out a while back and was on my wishlist for the Sephora VIB sale. Unfortunately it's become unavailable recently. This is why I don't like to review limited edition products! But I'm sure there are some on eBay if you can get your hands on it for a reasonable price because I've been enjoying this palette a lot!

This palette has 6 shades that are in the permanent range, either from single shadows or palettes (duos, trios, etc).

Alhambra is a frosty champagne. It's a little pinker than MAC Ricepaper. The formula is very soft and buttery. It applies very smoothly. The pigmentation is good. Not super intense where it gives an instant metallic look, but color and finish are pretty noticeable with one sweep.

Bellissima is very cool light taupe, with a very slight hint of purple. It has matte finish. The formula and pigmentation are definitely lacking a little. It swatches a bit chalky and requires a few more swatches to get good pigmentation. It works better with a brush. I like it for a subtle crease color to create a natural everyday look. It's not the best formula but for me, works out perfectly for a natural crease color.

Kalahari is a shimmery bronze, not as frosty as Alhambra. It looks like if you mix MAC Woodwinked and Satin Taupe together. It's a very unique color. The formula is soft. It applies smoothly and blends out nicely. It's not as pigmented as Alhambra. It takes a few sweeps to get the frosty bronze. But that makes it a really versatile color. I actually really like it all over the lid with one or 2 sweeps just to give a little warmth for a natural look.

Galapagos is a satin brown with gold shimmer. It looks very shimmery in the pan but when swatched it's not nearly as shimmery as Kalahari. It definitely has a satin finish. The formula is not the best but not the worst in the palette. It applies smoothly but takes a little more effort to blend out. It's pretty pigmented. It's great for all over the lids or as a crease color.

Coconut Grove is a matte dark ashy brown. The formula is pretty chalky. It's hard to get an even swatch. The pigmentation is okay. The color and the formula combination makes it a really good brow powder for dark brows.

Night Clubbing took me by surprise. It's a matte black with gold shimmers. The shimmers are only noticeable under the lights. The formula is not as soft and buttery as Alhambra, but very good for a matte black shadow. It's also very pigmented. It would be great for a true smokey eye because the gold shimmers give a slight dimension to the matte black. I also love for lining my eyes.

Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base is a clear eyeshadow primer. The product comes out white but when applied it's clear. I've already had a full size product of this. It's the best eyeshadow primer I've ever used. I have oily eyelids that even the Urban Decay ones can't keep my shadows from creasing, but this one does it! I highly highly highly recommend it!

Alhambra | Bellissima | Kalahari | Galapagos | Coconut Grove | Night Clubbing

Lids: Alhambra & Kalahari | Crease: Galapagos | Liner: Night Clubbing | Brows: Coconut Grove

Overall, I'm very pleased with the palette. The color combination is brilliant and so are the finishes. Even though the 2 matte shades (Bellissima & Coconut Grove) don't have the best formula, they turn out to work very well for where I need them. I probably won't have liked them as much if the formula was softer or pigmented. It just shows that it's not always the softer/ more buttery, the better.
I also love the versatility of this palette. I can create so many looks with just this one palette and it only has 6 shades in this little compact! Personally I think it's even better than taking a big o' Naked Palette.
I'm sorry that it's not widely available anymore. I literally just got it from Sephora online! But if you can get your hands on it somehow, I definitely recommend it!

Wet n Wild Fergie Center Stage Collection Eyeshadow Palette in A029 Desert Festival

$4.99     0.19 oz / 5.5 g

Ingredients: Talc, Ethyl Macadamiate, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Stearate, Boron Nitrate, Methicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Silica, Calcium Titanium Borosilicate, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Black 2/CI 77266, Blue 1 Lake/CI 42090, Carmine/CI 75470, Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide/CI 77510, Ferric Ferrocyanide/CI 77510, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Maganese Violet/CI 77742, Mica, Red 40 Lake/CI 16035, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Ultramarines/CI 77007

Availability: CVS, Drugstore.com

Colors
This palette contains 5 shades: shimmery champagne, shimmery orange, matte orange, matte dark brown, and matte black with gold sparkles. The colors and finishes work nicely together. It's a great combination. You can easily great a look with all five shades.

Formula & Pigmentation
All the shades have very soft and buttery formula, except for the matte black with gold sparkles. The black goes on a little chalky. When applied the sparkles don't show up, making it perfect as an eyeliner shade.
All the shades are very pigmented, but easy to work with if you tap off the excess. They're also very easy to blend, except for the matte black shade.

How I wear It
I love this palette for a more dramatic look because the dark brown is a little darker than what I would normally put on the crease for a daily look. The matte orange shade is great for warming up cooler eyeshadows. I love the two lighter shimmery shades for everyday looks. The black shade is great as eyeliners. Here's the look I created using all 5 shades.

shimmery orange all over + matte orange at outer corner + shimmery champagne at center + matte brown at crease + black as liner

I love this palette. The overall quality would definitely be worth high end prices but it's only $4.99. I absolutely love the formula, pigmentation, colors, and finishes. It's very easy to use and versatile palette. I highly recommend it!

Sephora VIB Sales: What Did I get?

The VIB sales is something I plan and save up for every year. I already did my shopping yesterday because I was afraid of stock-outs! I just wanted to show you a few things that I ordered online and bought in stores.

Repurchases

Caudalie Vinosource Duo

$48     $38.40

Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter

$20     $16

Ralph Lauren Romance Gift Set Duo

$35     $28

Boscia Balancing Facial Tonic

$24     $19.20

Clinique All About Eyes Rich

$30     $24

Nude Essential Skin Radiance Kit

$52     $41.60

Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner

$15     $12

Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Mini (Truth Serum + Invigorating Night Gel + Sheer Transformation Creme)

$22.50     $18

New Purchases

NARS And God Created The Woman Set

$59     $47.20

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji

$44     $35.20

Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 42 for Face

$30     $24

REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask

$34     $27.20

YSL Glossy Stain in #29 Rose Forreau

$34     $27.20

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in #12 Coral Incandescent

$34     $27.20

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light

$45     $36

Dior Addict Lipstick in #643 Dioblotine

$31     $24.80

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Cheek Gelee in Getaway Red

$22     $17.60

Glam Glow Gift Sexy (Super Mud + Youth Mud)

$69     $55.20

Clarisonic Mia 2 Sonic Cleansing Brush with Fresh (Soy Face Cleanser + Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream)

$150     $120

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm

$28.50     $22.80

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup in 1W2 Sand

$37     $29.60     Available at select Sephora stores

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in #2 Coffee

$22     $17.60     Available at select Sephora stores

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II Set (1.7 oz + 0.24 oz)

$92     $73.60     Available at select Sephora Stores

Estee Lauder Nutritious Radiant Vitality 2-in-1 Foam Cleanser

$30     $24     Available at select Sephora stores

Discounts in cosmetics products are relatively rare so definitely take the advantage of the sales if you're a VIB or you have a VIB friend! I hope this list was helpful. The sales are going on currently until Monday, Nov. 11. Happy Shopping!

Most Loved 5 of October 2013

Nude ProGenius Treatment Oil & Cellular Renewal Moisturiser
I got these 2 products in a deluxe sample set. My skin has improved so much after using them. I use the set at night. I use the oil first and put the cream on top. My breakouts and irritation have calmed down and my skin has become super soft and smooth. They're very pricey products but they're worth every penny!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
This little wonder has been hyped about for a long time. I just recently got mine from HauteLook. It's so worth the hype. I pop it on my acne spots at night and when I wake up they're not as red, bumpy, or irritated anymore. It's a miracle!

Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate
I can't wear a lot of makeup at work so my beloved lipsticks are obviously out of the picture. I've been loving this lip butter because it gives nice pigmentation and hydration. I love that it's not as thick and sticky as a lip gloss, not as opaque as a lipstick, and not as sheer as a lip balm. It does dry out in 2-3 hours but it leaves a natural stain on the lips. It's very fool proof so I don't mind reapplying. You can also use the product left on the finger tip as a natural blush.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Natural Beauty
I've been wearing this blush almost every time I wear makeup for the past month. It's seriously a gorgeous blush. It mimic the natural blush perfectly and give your face a lit-from-within glow just with the beautiful color. The longevity is awesome. It truly lasts all day until you take it off. See my review for more details and pictures.

Tarte Natural Beauty | Korres Pomegranate

October was a good month. I discovered some of my holy grail products that have made a big impact on my skin and my makeup. Definitely try some of these products out if you haven't and I hope you enjoy it!

Worth the Hype? MAC LIpstick in Ruby Woo

$15     0.10 oz / 3 g

Availability: MAC, Nordstrom 

If you're a member of the beauty community, I'm pretty sure you either have heard people talk about this lipstick 10 thousand times, or you already have it. I seriously don't know why it too me so long to get this lipstick but I'm glad I did.

Color & Finish

Ruby Woo is described as a vivid blue red. I can never tell if a red lipstick has a cool tone but I can tell it doesn't have much orange in it. This red is a very bright true red. It's not pink nor coral. It suits all kinds of complexions.

It has Retro Matte finish even though on the packaging it just says Matte. Apparently they are different finishes. This is the only Retro Matte I have and I don't own any Matte ones so I don't know. But it's definitely very matte. It has no glossiness to it whatsoever.

Formula & Pigmentation

The formula is very dry. But it's workable. It can tug the lips when applied out of the bullet, so definitely apply in short strokes. I don't think it dries my lips out. It just doesn't provide any moisture. If you have dry lips, make sure you apply lip balm underneath. It would also help with the application.

It's very pigmented. You definitely need a mirror to apply it. Because of the dry formula, if you make any mistake, wipe it off soon because it might stain.

multiple layers | one layer

How I Wear It

I absolutely love wearing it for a night out because it can work as a stain. I apply a layer and blot it with a tissue and repeat it for a few times to secure the stain. I don't have to touch up for the rest of the night if I'm just drinking. It might come off a little but if you eat because of the oil in food. I also love it just keeping the rest of my makeup really minimal. I can also apply a thin layer with my fingers to create a sheer stain for a natural look.

Does it make my teeth whiter?

Overall, I love this lipstick and will keep repurchasing it. I love that it can make my makeup look look so much more polished when I only have foundation and mascara on. The dry formula makes the application require a little more effort, but I don't mind that since it also keeps the color on longer. It's a high effort but low maintenance lipstick. The color works for all kinds of skin tones and complexions. It's definitely worth the hype and I would highly recommend it to everyone!

Hall of Fame: Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Natural Beauty

$26     0.20 oz / 5.6 g

Ingredients: Talc, Mica, Zinc Stearate, Polyethylene, Tricaprylin, Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Cera Alba/beeswax/cire D’abeille, PEG-150 Distearate, Lanolin, Laureth-4, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Kaolin, Tin Oxide, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Red 27 (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Ultramarines (CI 77007)

Availability: Sephora, Dermstore.com

Color & Finish

Natural Beauty is described as a muted strawberry red, and I totally agree. It looks very intense in the pan but it really resembles the natural color when we blush. It gives people the illusion of you glowing not because it has shimmer (it's mostly matte) but because the color makes you look very rejuvenated. 

The finish is pretty matte. I can't see any shimmer in the pan or on the cheek. But it doesn't flatten the cheek when applied. It leaves an almost undetectable sheen, which is pretty similar to the texture of bare skin.

Pigmentation

With these Tarte blushes, the pigmentation varies from blush to blush. Natural Beauty is pretty pigmented. You definitely want to tap the excess off of the brush before applying it onto the skin. For fair skin, this can work very well if you use a very light hand. Literally just dip the brush in the pan, tap off the excess, possibly swirl it on the back of your hand, and dab it onto the skin. The color is also buildable. I can see this blush work for darker complexions.

Formula

The texture of this blush is not the most buttery, but it's not too stiff, either. It actually works out very well with the high pigmentation, making it a little more fool-proof.

How I Wear It

I've been wearing it for all kinds of makeup looks. It can work with smokey eyes with just a sheer wash of color. It can also be the focal point if you're not wearing anything on the eyes. It's very versatile.

Overall, I'm in so in love with this blush. I've been wearing it almost everyday this month. The color just makes you look so healthy and awake. The finish is fantastic as it's matte without flattening out the facial structure. The formula and pigmentation are easy to work with. Not the most fool-proof because you do have to be cautious not to put too much on. But it just requires a little tapping or swirling before you put it on. I also love it because it's such a versatile product. If I can only take one blush for travels I would pick this one. I would highly recommend it to everyone!

Fall 2013 Makeup Trend Series | Trend #5: Cat Eyes

Trend #5: Cat Eyes
Cat eyes were BIG on the runway. Literally. It's no longer just a feline flick. It's full on Amy Winehouse kind of cat eyes. It's a quite versatile trend. You can experiment with different colors, different shapes, and different placements. One thing I noticed is the clean edges. There isn't too much blending.

Anna Sui                                                                                                               Christian Dior

Dolce & Gabbaba                                                                                              Jason Wu

Lanvin                                                                                                                    Michael Kors

(source: style.com)

This trend is obviously not for a day time look, but it's perfect for a night out. It can be a very time consuming look because to keep the edges clean, you have to be very precise with the shapes and lines.

To help you create the sharp edges, take some Scotch tapes and stick it onto your hand a few times to make it less sticky. Put them at an angle following your bottom lash line.

I used a creamy black eye kohl as a base (Urban Decay Eye Pencil in Perversion). You want to be able to smudge it out. Draw the cat eye shape (the tail and all over the lid) and then even it out with a clean cotton swap.

Next, take off the Scotch tapes, and you'll have clean edges at the bottom. If there's any mess-ups, take a dark brown or black eyeshadow with an angled brush and create clean edges (Urban Decay Crave in Naked Basics Palette). If you take the lines too low or too high, use baby wipes or micellar water (like Bioderma) soaked cotton swaps.

Take the same  eyeshadow on a dense flat eyeshadow brush. Pad it on to the lids to set the eye kohl.

You can leave it like that for a black smokey eye. But I wanted to add some color so I put some shimmery dark blue eyeshadows on top (L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Midnight Blue). Be careful not to go over the edges!

Urban Decay Eye Pencil in Perversion | Urban Decay Crave in Naked Basic Palette | L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Midnight Blue

Take your time and have fun with it! Good luck!

That's all for the Fall Makeup Trend Series. I hope you enjoyed it!

Check out other trends if you haven't! Trend #1   Trend #2   Trend #3   Trend #4