Splendid Shadows

Left to Right:
-MAC Talent Pool ($14.50)
-Pixi No.3 Nude Nouveaux ($14.00)
-NARS Bali ($23.00)



These are some of the most beautiful and pigmented shadows I have ever come across!

Talent Pool is a gorgeous shimmering aqua with a hint of green reflects. I almost never wear colors in the blue family, but it is perfect for summer and would look stunning on brown eyes. Because it is so bright and I tend to stay with neutral shades, I run this along my lower lashline for a pop of color.

Bali is clearly the most pigmented of the three, and the most expensive. Although the price makes me cringe, I was lucky enough to receive it as a holiday present. Yet having used it I personally think it is worth the price tag. The packaging is adorable, the case is hard to describe, it is hard with this rubbery feel, and comes with a convenient mirror inside. It's a pure matte rich dark brown that is essential in every collection and its quality is outstanding.

Nude Nouveaux I bought on a whim. I had swatched the shadow in Target and thought it was so wonderfully velvety that I had to have it. I am obsessed with shimmery champagne shadows so I thought this would just add to the many I already have but I was dead wrong. This is my "holy grail" eyeshadow! I try to branch out to my other shadows but I always end up using this one practically every day. This shadow is magical; I can use it all over my lid during the daytime as it runs gold/champagne with a hint of pink, or at night where it somehow turns a slight silver tone perfect with jet black liner. AHHHH i love this!

Thanks for reading :) 

Recent Bits and Bobs :)

Hey everyone!
My life has been beyond hectic and my blog has become the neglected victim :( But I decided to try something new today and make a video to show you all some new products that I have been trying out lately. Please watch the video and let me know what you think, enjoy! P.S. I KNOWWW my camera is terrible quality :/ but I just enjoyed making this video, if you like the regular posts better, or maybe a combo please let me know!!

March Favorites!

Hey everyone! 

I LOST MY CAMERAAAA!!! :(
I've been doing my best to find it and hopefully I will soon. But for the time being, I still wanted to show you my favorites so I just took some pictures from online. Enjoy!

Sephora Collection Doe Eyed Felt Tip Liner 
For years I have used my L'oreal Lineur Intense to master my winged liner (which I do everryyy day) but I decided I wanted to see if I could find something better. Although I'm not totally satisfied with this and am still looking for something even better (the tip is already a little frayed and I have to shake it sometimes to make the product come out) I think it is soooo easy to use, inexpensive, and I'm enjoying it for the time being! 

Pixi Solo Light Eyeshadow in Nude Nouveaux (unknown shade pictured)
The shade I have is a frosty/shimmery taupey champagne color with a bit of pink? haha That's the best way I can describe it. I absolutely love shimmery shadows because they just make my eyes sparkle and for the past month I have been reaching for this pretty much every day because it's such a versatile, every day shade. 

Covergirl Naturelux Gloss Balm in 203 Coral
I was so excited when this product came out because I am obsessed with lip balms and the range of colors for these is amazing!! I would say this is a good combination between a gloss and a balm because it is pretty moisturizing (nothing heavy duty) and it gives a sheen to the lips. But because it is not a true liquid gloss it does show the lines in my lips a bit and doesn't make them look fuller or anything. When I first bought this shade I didn't find it very pigmented but now that I've used more of it and warmed up the product it is so pigmented! Once I put on a bit too much and my lips were legit orange... not good! But I really like this especially due to the popularity of orange lips this season and I would love to try more shades

Bad Gal Lash Mascara
THIS MASCARA IS AMAZING!! I know that it's been popular for so long and I'm one of the last to try it, but it took me forever to finally splurge for a non-drugstore mascara. I bought the sample size and because I have so many other mascaras that I use on and off it has lasted me a good amount of time. It makes my eyelashes sooo voluminous but not clumpy which I lust for. Sadly for my wallet, I don't think I can live without this I will definitely be repurchasing!

Thanks for reading :) 

Lancome's Precious

Hey everyone! I can't believe that it's been over a month since my last post and I'm so so sorry! First I had midterms, then I had ACTs, and recently a family member of mine passed away so things have been hectic to say the least. But I wanted to show you guys a really unique lipstick I've had for a while and I've also included some dupes in case you can't get your hand on this particular shade. Enjoy! 

Lancome Sheer Magnetic Lipstick in Precious $20-$25
This lipstick is a very sheer electric purple shade with blue and purple glitter in it. It looks alarming in the tube, but on the lips its quite toned down and I don't find the glitter to be chunky at all. 

L to R: Precious, Smashbox Smile Brightening Lipgloss (almost exact dupe), Revlon Lipgloss in Lilac Pastelle, MAC Lipglass in Eclectic Edge

Thanks for reading :) 

How I Conceal my Under Eye Circles

Hey everyone! For the past year and a half or so, under eye circles has been a huge problem for me. I've tried tons and tons of products to try to fix and cover the darkness, veins, and puffiness but I never was able to. I've finally found a routine that really works for me, although it's not perfect and I'm still seeking even better options. Alsooo, I don't wear foundation or tinted moisturizer on my face, so it was really important for me to find products that blend well into my natural skin. My dark circles and puffiness are also related to genetics and lack of sleep, so it might never be fully treatable but I try my best. It might seem a little overboard, but it works for me! Also, I don't have a very high quality camera, so the "before and after" difference might not be very noticeable, but in person it very much is. Feel free to comment what you do to cover up your under eyes! 

Before

First I apply a small amount of Kiehl's Ultra Protection Moisturizing Eye Gel with SPF 15 to moisturize and prevent premature wrinkling from sun exposure. It has a slight yellow color but it blends in completely clear.

Before the moisturizer fully sets in, I use the Garnier Anti-Puff Eye Roller. Its supposed to help treat dark circles and puffiness. I think because it has a cold metal applicator and caffeine in the product it helps with puffiness, although I haven't seen a dramatic difference in my dark circles. I run it from my inner corner to the crow's feet area and use my fingers to blend it in with the moisturizer. This also helps increase circulation and revive my eyes.

After those two dry into my skin, I apply a thin layer of YSL's Touche Eclat from the inner corner of my eye to the middle of my eye (below my pupil) for a brightening effect. A lot of people think this infamous tool is a concealer, and while I am mixed about it, it's meant as a brightener/highlighter not a product to cover up. I tap this into my skin with my fingers. 

I don't use this every day, but when my eyes feel especially tired, I add a very small amount of Benefit's High Beam to the inner corner of my eye. It's a pink based highlighter with a slight sheen that gives my eyes a little more oomph. I also blend this in by tapping it with my fingers. 

Finally for the actual concealing! I use the Sonia Kashuk Confidential Concealer in Light which I get at Target and is literally only $5!!!! It's such a good concealer that I would easily spend at least $20 on it but I don't have to! I find that it blends extremely well and covers great. To make sure I get the best coverage with it, I also tap this with quick pats under my eyes and blend the rest up to my inner corner.

After :)
Because I used so many creamy/liquidy products it's an absolute must for me to set it all with a powder. I use a very small amount of the Clarins Multi Eclat Face Powder in Shade 2 to make sure the products under my eyes don't crease and that they stay all day.

Thanks for reading :) 

MAH 2010 FAVESSSS

Hey everyone! I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays and is excited for the new year! As many bloggers have been doing this past week I wanted to do a favorite products of 2010. It was REALLY difficult for me to narrow my choices down to just one favorite per category so I decided to do a "winners" and "runner ups" and "honorable mentions". I chose not to go into descriptions of the products for the sake of a concise post, but if you have any questions about the things i mentioned just post a comment or email me and I'll answere asap. By the way, I don't wear foundation and I'm not very much into hair products because mine is very manageable, so if you notice those categories are missing that's why! Hope you enjoy! 


Favorites: 


Lip Balm: 
Winner- Neosporin Overnight Recovery Lip Balm 
Runner Up- Blistex Medicated Lip Balm with SPF 15 
Honorable Mention- EOS lip balms 


Lip Stick: 
Winner- Estee Lauder Lipstick in Pinkberry 
Runner Up- YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Stiletto 
Honorable Mention- Estee Lauder Crystal Lipstick Quad 


Lip Gloss: 
Winner- NYX Round Lipglosses 
Runner Up- MAC Lipstick in Eclectic Edge 
Honorable Mention- DuWop Lip Venom 


Eyeshadow (Single): 
Winner- Clinique Buttermilk 
Runner Up- Nars Bali 
Honorable Mention- Pixi Nude Nouveaux 


Eyeshadow (Palette): 
Winner- Tarte Day to Night Palette 
Runner Up- Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box
Honorable Mention- Coastal Scents 88 Color Shadow Palette 


Eyeliner (Liquid): 
Winner- L'oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black (the only one I use!) 


Eyeliner (Pencil): 
Winner-  Clinique Liner in Blackened Taupe (comes out brown) 
Runner Up- YSL Crayon Yeux Haute Tenue in Velvet Black
Honorable Mention- Sephora Brand Liner Electro in Khaki Electro 


Eyeliner/shadow (Gel/Cream): 
Winner- Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner in Charcoal and Black 
Runner Up- Stila Smudgepot in Kitten 
Honorable Mention- ELF Shimmer Palette 


Mascara: 
Winner- Covergirl Lashblast Fusion 
Runner Up- Arabella Stuart Perfect Lash  
Honorable Mention- Estee Lauder More than Mascara 


Blush: 
Winner- Benefit Posietint  
Runner Up- Sephora Blush in Rose Abricot 
Honorable Mention- Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush in Rosey 


Highlighter:
Winner- Smashbox Artificial Light in Flash 
Runner Up- DuWop Doubleglow7 in Champagne 
Honorable Mention- YSL Touche Eclat


Concealer: 
Winner- Sonia Kashuk Confidential Concealer in Light 


Skin Care: 
Winner- Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture with spf 15 
Runner Up- Kiehl's Ultra Protection Moisturizing Eye Gel spf 15 
Honorable Mention- Garnier Skin Renew Anti- Puff Eye Roller 


Cleansers/ Acne Products: 
Winner- Clearasil Rapid Action Pads
Runner Up- Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleansing Pads and Ponds Makeup Removal Pads 
Honorable Mention- Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment 


Nail Polish: 
Winner- Revlon 85 Minted 
Runner Up- Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat
Honorable Mention- OPI Aphrodite's Pink Nightie 


Perfume: 
Winner- Vera Wang Princess 


Ok, those are all my favorites of 2010! This year I got really into makeup and found so many loves... I hope you all did as well! 
Feel free to leave a comment telling me some of your favorite products of 2010 or a link to a post of them if you made one. 




Thanks for reading and have a fabulous new year :) 

Super Simple Green Look for the Holidays!

Hey everyone! I wanted to show you a look that I came up with while playing around with my makeup today. I think that dark, shimmery greens look absolutely stunning for the holiday season and this look is so simple to do! Enjoy! 

Eyes: -Stila Smudgepot in Jade (base) 

      -Stila Eye For Eye Palette (dark hazel and black shade) 

      -Sephora Shadow in Aspen Summit (inner corner) 

      -L'oreal Lineur Intense Carbon Black Liquid Liner 

      -Yves Saint Laurent Long Lasting Eye Pencil in Velvet Black 

       (tightline and waterline) 

      -Estee Lauder More than Mascara Mascara 

Cheeks: -Smashbox Artificial Light Flash 

        -Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush in Rosey 

Lips: -Rouge Pur Couture in 9 Rose Stiletto

      -MAC Lipglass in Enchantress 

Thanks for reading and happy holidays everyone!! :)