Makeup: Pink Lips and Cheeks

Happy Tuesday! :D

Official first day of Summer -- wooooohoooooo!!! :)

Nothing epic has happened to my Summer yet, but I'm always hoping that a fun adventure is just around the corner. Oh, and Sephora has already emailed me that I can go pick up my birthday gift -- my 21st birthday is in two weeks?! :O

Speaking of Sephora (and my birthday, haha), I really want to get myself a bright pink lipstick. I think it's time for me to give it a try. :)

I love the way it looks! I love red lipstick too, but I think a bright pink lip color would bring out everyone's fun side! And it's such a summer color - very vibrant, youthful, and fun. :D

Besides bright pink lipstick, I also want to try a bright pink blush like the one they have above.

Do you guys have any suggestions -- what lipstick and blush should I try?

Here are some celebrities sporting pink lips and cheeks:

Rihanna and Kate Bosworth

Alexis Bledel (She's so pretty!)

Gwen Stefani

Emma Stone

Lauren Conrad

What do you think of pink lips and cheeks?

Have a fantastic week, everyone! :)

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

Happy Saturday!

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend! :D

My summer break has been going pretty okay, it's just the normal feeling of "Wait, it's only 11am? What?!". It's going pretty slowly, but there's a whole summer ahead, and I am excited to see what it has in store for me. :)

In the meantime, I am happy to just spend more time here on Blogger. :D

Anyway, I've been meaning to tell you guys about this product, but I just never got around to it:

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation

Redefine natural beauty with our lightweight silk foundation. With a touch of cucumber water and a hint of jojoba and rose hip extracts, our light yet luxurious formula takes heavy weight out of your polished finish. Plus, we're so sure you'll love NatureLuxe Silk Foundation, that if you're not satisfied with the results, we'll refund your money.

- Luxury touched by nature

- Silky formula

- Contains a hint of jojoba and cucumber extract

NatureLuxe Silk Foundation has the same amount of product inside the recyclable plastic tube as TruBlend Liquid Makeup, Clean Makeup, and Advanced Radiance Liquid Makeup.

***from www.covergirl.com***

I like that it is in a recyclable plastic tube as opposed to a glass bottle.

It smells great!

It can feel oily at first, but I find that it is also silky and not too heavy on the face.

It has SPF 10.

Easy to blend.

There are 14 shades to choose from, so there should be a close match for everyone. :)

I got mine in Aspen (320).

Here are the other shades available:

CoverGirl also provides a comparison chart to help us find the perfect shade for us.

At Ulta, they are sold for $11.99. At Target, $9.25.

I'm pretty sure you can get it for much less at Rite Aid, CVS, or Walgreens. :)

I really like the NatureLuxe collection. They have really great products - at least from my experience with the ones I've tried. :)

Have you tried CoverGirl's NatureLuxe Silk Foundation? Thoughts?

I hope you are all having a relaxing weekend! :D

P.S. My $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway is open until June 18th -- still plenty of time to enter! Click the link below. :D

Win $100 to spend on Shopbop!

Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! :D

How are you all spending the long weekend? Whatever it is you are doing, I hope you are having fun! :)

When I have some spare time, I really try to do some swatches for you guys. :)

Good news is I had some time this past week to take photos of my

Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette! :D

Here's what www.coastalscents.com says about it:

Description

For those of you who love shimmer shadows, you will not be disappointed. These are very pigmented and offer a bit more shimmer than the 56 piece palette. The pots are Dime Size around and contain plenty of powder for many excessive uses.

Contents

88 eye shadow colors

mirror 5" x 3.12" (12.7cm x 7.9cm)x2 dual end foam tip applicators

Dimensions

matte black case when closed = 9.12" x 6.53" x 0.5" (23.2cm x 16.6cm x 1.3cm)

pot diameter = 0.62" (1.6cm)

Ingredients

Talc, Mica, Mineral Oil, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lanolin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, BHT. May contain: Mica and Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarine Blue, Manganese Violet, Ferric Ammonium Ferro

cyanide, Chrome Oxide Greens, Chrome Hydroxide Green, FD&C Red No.40 Al Lake, FD&C Yellow No.5 Al Lake, FD&C Blue No.1 Al Lake.

Content Weight

61.0g / 2.15oz

I bought this last year for $19.95 -- very affordable, huh?!
The packaging is not the best, but I don't mind because you get 88 colors for $19.95 -- why would I complain, right?

And another good thing about this is the colors are pigmented.

I swatched a color from each row for you guys to see. :)
There are 11 rows with 8 colors each.

*My arm looks weird, hahaha!*

There may be some fall outs, but you can easily fix that by sweeping it up with loose powder. You can also use MAC Fix+ or just plain, good old water to get less fall outs and a deeper shade.

It comes with dual end foam applicators, but I like using my own eyeshadow brush.

All in all, I think this is a really great buy! It feels like it has all the colors you can possibly think of. ;)

Which of these 88 colors do you like the best?

If you don't want much of a shimmer, they also have an 88 Original Palette -- the same beautiful colors without the shimmer for $18.95!

Coastal Scents has a ton of other products, so check out their website to see which one will strike your fancy. :)

Have you ever bought anything from Coastal Scents? Any recommendations?

Have a fantastic weekend, guys! :D

Amazing eyelids (and lips!)!!! :D

Hey, guys!

Happy Tuesday! :)

Sorry I haven't been around too much, but two more weeks of school and I have all the time in the world to spend here on Blogger! I can't wait! :D

We all know beauty and makeup takes practice and patience -- it's like a work of art, right?

I found these awesome photos of works of art (literally!) made from makeup! :D

Can you guess what movies these are from? :)

Aladdin

Cinderella

Lion King

Tangled (I just saw it, it's an amazing movie!!!)

Nightmare Before Christmas

These last two are some of the ones that caught my eye. I was like "*Gasp!* How cool!". :D

What do you guys think of these? Which ones did you like the best?

Have a great week, everyone! :D

***photos courtesy of www.bellasugar.com***

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm

Happy Friday! :D

I mentioned on my post before this that my original post from Wednesday was deleted along with your lovely comments! I hope Blogger can restore it, but for now, I posted it again, you can check out my previous post if you want to see it. :)

Anyways, I've been wanting to get a colored lip balm for the longest time, but I never got around to it and I also didn't know which brand was best. I've had a good experience with my CoverGirl products, so I decided to try

CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm.

Get the sheer color and shine of a gloss with the soft and lightweight feel of SPF 15 balm. Fortified with mango and shea butter, this feel-good formula leaves your lips feeling decadent and delicious.

- Luxurious, sheer color with a hint of shine

- Contains decadent mango and shea butter

- Soft, lightweight feel

- SPF 15

How to apply:

- Lightly pucker your lips and apply gloss generously, working from the inside out. Be sure not to apply outside your lip line.

- Place a folded tissue between pressed lips to remove excess and prevent sticking.

***from http://www.covergirl.com/***

I know it's pretty common sense how to put on lip balm, but I just thought I'd add that on here. :)

I usually put my regular lip balm on before this gloss balm - that way, it glides on easier. And I've also noticed that it makes the color pop out more.

I've read reviews where people were disappointed because it came on clear. I didn't have that problem - there was color for me (probably because I put my regular lip balm first) and the tint also lasted for about three hours.

Here is a swatch:

That's two swipes. It really is very sheer, but there is color - it's not plain and colorless.

If you're looking for a balm that will give you lipstick-like color, then this isn't it. But if you just want a balm that will give you tint, this is a good product.

I am happy with this product, and I definitely want to buy another one when I'm finished with mine. I want to try other colors. :)

Another thing I love about this - it smells great! And if I need to moisturize my lips in class, I can easily reach in to my bag and put this on. No need to open a lid, and dip my finger in to get balm (don't get me wrong though, I love my Rosebud Strawberry Salve!).

My lips get moisturized and I get some color, without worrying if I went over my lip line! :)

At Ulta, these are $6.99... but again, they are probably cheaper at your favorite drugstore.

For the price, I think it's worth giving it a try just to see if you'll like it or not. Even if you end up not liking it that much, it won't be a waste because you will get use out of it. Even if the color may not be enough for you, it really is a good lip balm.

And there are soooooo many colors to choose from!


Mine is Anemone (225).

They also have them in Tulip (205), Thistle (210), Hibiscus (215), Peony (220), Coral (230), Grenache (235), Muscat (240), Pinot (245), Cabernet (250), Marble (255), Clay (260), Sandstone (265), Spice (270), Cinnamon (275), and Clove (280).

16 colors! :D

*You can check out www.covergirl.com to see the actual colors.*

Just another thought, I'm guessing that the darker the color you pick, the more color you're gonna get. Makes sense, right? :)

Have you tried CoverGirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm? Do you like it? Thoughts?

Is it something you might want to try?

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! :D

Beauty Watch: Get Sexy Eyes Now

Happy Saturday, everyone! :D

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

And I hope all the Moms out there are having the best weekend ever because after all it should be all about them. :)

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Some of you may remember from some of my older posts how frustrated I am when it comes to eye makeup - specifically eyeshadow. I don't know, I just can't get it right, but I know one day, I'll get it! I can now apply mascara better than before... eyeliner and eyeshadow, you're next! ;)

If like me, you still need practice with eye makeup, I hope these tips from pro makeup artists help you. For those of you who are really good with eye makeup, let us know if these tricks work for you. :)

Lash Curler - gently curling bare lashes will give them a "beautiful curve"

Eyeliner - to add depth to your look, apply liner to your inner lashline

Shadow - keep lashes the main focus with neutral tones, which blend easily into skin

Highlighter - as a finishing touch, apply on lower lid to make lashes pop

Pointed Tips - use to separate clumpy lashes and spot treat mistakes

Do you have any tips and tricks to add to these?

I've also always wanted to wear falsies, but I have no idea how to put them on and such.

Here are some tips from Kim Kardashian's makeup artist, Joyce Bonelli:

- Short individual lashes give the eye a "feathery, yet natural look". Apply where lashes are sparse, beginning at the inner corner of the eye.

- Tilt your head up while looking into the mirror to expose the top of your lashline and blend falsies in naturally.

- Don't apply mascara to lashes before your falsies are in place. Once lashes are in place, apply mascara sparingly.

Do you wear falsies? Any other tips?

***from People (April 11, 2011)***

I also found some photos of celebrities sporting smoky eyes:

Anne Hathaway

Beyonce

Cameron Diaz

Diane Kruger

I love her makeup and her hair! :D

Kristen Stewart

Mila Kunis

Natalie Portman

Victoria Beckham

And the queen of smoky eyes...

Jennifer Lopez

Whose look did you like the best?

***images from Google***

I wish all the wonderful Moms and Moms-to-be (and all those who are just like Moms to their siblings, nieces and nephews, step-children, or their friends' children) a

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! :D

***from http://www.weheartit.com/***

CoverGirl Contest/Giveaway + some links. :)

Happy Wednesday! :D

I thought I was gonna be able to make a Wedding Wednesday post for you guys today, but alas, I wasn't able to. :/

On the bright side, however, www.freebeautyevents.com is having a contest wherein ten winners will be chosen to receive these amazing products:

CoverGirl Nature Luxe Silk Foundation, CoverGirl Nature Luxe Gloss Balm, and CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick.

How amazing, right?!

This contest will run until May 31st - still plenty of time to enter! Winners will be chosen on June 5th and notified by June 15th. :D

CVS is also hosting a nationwide event - they will have L'Oreal coupons and a gift bag raffle. Beauty consultants will also be on hand to show the latest in Youth Code skincare.

You can visit their website and enter your zip code to find out what makeover, spa open houses, gift with purchase, and sampling events are happening near you. You can also follow freebeautyevents on Facebook and Twitter!

Need beauty reviews or free beauty event posting? They have those too! :D

Have fun checking out www.freebeautyevents.com and good luck with the CoverGirl contest! :)

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Here are links to some of my previous posts:

What's your favorite Spring blush?
Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Review
Say It With Flowers: Floral Perfumes

:D

What's your favorite Spring blush? :)

Happy Tuesday! And Happy May! :D

I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that it is now May, and Summer is just around the corner! :O

I think we should make the most out of Spring before full-on Summer heat comes... although it might as well be Summer, Los Angeles was in the 90s today!

Anyway, since it's still Spring, I have a question for you guys:

What's your favorite Spring blush?

Right now, mine is

CoverGirl Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush

Want great bone structure? Instant Cheekbones Contouring Blush lets you create them instantly and easily. Each compact contains three expertly coordinated shades that add natural-looking contour, so you can look like you were born with great cheekbones, anytime!

***from www.covergirl.com***

- 3 complementary skin-flushed shades contour your cheekbones

- Lightweight

- Dermatologically tested

- Blendable

How to apply:

1. Begin with the contour, or darkest, shade in your Instant Cheekbones palette and apply to the hollow space below the cheekbone.

2. Apply the medium shade to the apples of your cheeks and sweep upwards towards the hairline.

3. For a youthful glow, highlight the tops of your cheeks with the lightest shade.

I use Peach Perfection (210). The other palettes available are: Purely Plum (220), Refined Rose (230), and Sophisticated Sable (240).

***from www.covergirl.com***

They are sold at Walgreens for $5.99; prices vary from store to store.

What's your favorite Spring blush? Any recommendations? :D

I wish you all a good rest of the week! :)

P.S. Here is a link to my previous post:

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Review

:D

Almay Intense i-color Smoky i-kit: Old vs. New

Happy Tuesday! :D

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! :)

As for me, I had a good break... but, now it's so hard to get back into my normal school routine. I also have some books I want to read (like Hunger Games!), but I probably won't have enough time to do that. :/ But I am determined to make time! Haha. ;)

Do you guys remember when I shared with you my new Almay products? I was going through my makeup kit, when I saw some older Almay eyeshadow trio kits from my Mom. I didn't know I already had some Almay products! :O

Another thing... one of them is an older version of my new one!




new one on the left, old one on the right


Here is the older packaging up-close:




And I swatched it for you guys:





Almay Intense i-color Smoky i-kit




- 1, 2, 3 easy application intensifies your unique eye color
- mistake proof smoky-i look intensifies your eye color
- wears all day
- crease resistant
- paraben-free, talc-free
- hypoallergenic; opthalmologist tested

***from www.almay.com***

I am not a big eyeshadow person, mainly because I have yet to perfect putting it on. ;)

The thing I love about this kit is that it shows you where to put the three colors -- something that definitely helps me! Just follow the order of the colors, blend them all together, and voila, you're done! Basically, you can't go wrong with this.

If like me, you're still practicing your eyeshadow skills, this is a really good product to try.

And again, if like me, you have sensitive eyes, this product is gentle and hypoallergenic.

You should definitely put primer on because the colors can be really light at first try. And the longest I wore this eyeshadow is about three hours, so I can't really say for sure if it lasts all day -- I will definitely update you guys when I do get to wear them for one whole day. :)

The colors look exactly alike, huh?
I actually checked to see if they're the same picture, but they're not. ;)

I tried to research what the difference is, but I couldn't find any legitimate reasons. One thing I noticed is that the new one is more sparkly than the older version, and of course, the packaging is cuter. ;) And maybe it also has something to do with the new one being hypoallergenic?

Anyways, if you're thinking of giving this product a try, they have other colors besides the one I have (which is smoky-i for browns):

smoky-i for hazels, smoky-i for blues, and smoky-i for greens

What color are your eyes?

At Walgreens, it is $7.49. The price may vary. :)

Have you tried Almay's Intense i-color Smoky-i kit? What do you think of it?

Is it something you would like to try?

Have a great week! :D

P.S. I just want to say thanks to Sia @RosemarieRocks and Cheryl @OhToBeAMuse! I won their respective giveaways. :D

Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara Review

Happy Monday/ Tuesday!!! :D

I hope you guys had a good start to your week.

I had a pretty relaxing day -- almost done reading Mini Shopaholic. I also borrowed an Emily Giffin book, I'm very excited to read it.

Oh, and guess what?! It was gloomy and cold today! Crazy weather. I guess I should wait a little while before keeping my Winter clothes. How's the weather where you are?

For today's post, I just wanted to share with you guys how my Almay mascara worked out for me. :)

Almay One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara

New Almay® one coat get up & grow™ mascara is formulated to instantly lengthen the look of lashes while strengthening to help defend against future breakage, so your lashes can continue to grow to their longest, shiniest best.

• instantly longer looking lashes
• anti-breakage pro-vitamin formula defends against damage so lashes continue to grow their longest
• unique brush shape fits eye contours perfectly to reach every last lash
• clump free, all day wear
• ophthalmologist tested
• suitable for contact lens wearers

***from www.almay.com***

This mascara is a good one - very good quality and really gentle on the eyes. It lengthens and defines the eyelashes well.

I don't use it everyday, so I really can't say for sure if it helps in the growth of eyelashes. However, according to Almay's website, "98% of women saw healthy, longer lashes in 30 days".

If you have sensitive eyes, wear contact lenses, would love to make your lashes grow, or just simply would love to try out a new mascara, then I think this is worth a try.

The price is around $8.49 -- pretty reasonable for a mascara, don't you think?

the wand

While this is a good mascara, I wouldn't say it's the best. I think there are more mascaras out there that I should try until I find one that I will really love. But, it definitely is a mascara that I can probably always come back to, and know that it will work well.

Here are other mascaras that are worth a try, depends on what you're looking for:

The Get Up & Grow mascara is mentioned above! ;)

Have you tried Almay's One Coat Get Up & Grow Mascara? Is it something you would want to try? Any mascara recommendations?

Have a fantastic week! :D

Skin Smoothers: Banish Dry Skin!

Hey, guys! :D

I'm so happy to find some time to make a blog post. :)

One midterm, and one Friday class, and it's Spring Break, yay!!!

Anyway, weather can be so weird - one day it's soooo hot, the next it's freezing. But the weather I hate the most is when it's windy! It makes my skin dry up so much more than it normally does. I absolutely hate dry skin, and that's why I like trying different kinds of face cream. :)

I have a pile of People magazines, I was going through them, and I saw this page showing what some celebrities use to fight dry skin.

***(I was able to scan tons of interesting pages from People! I will be sharing them with you guys! :D)***

1. Lancome Galatee Confort Comforting Milky Creme Cleanser ($30)

"It's so moisturizing. I don't need lotion, and it takes off all my makeup too." --Raven-Symone

This sounds great to me! From how Raven described it, I think it's worth the $30.

2. Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Youth Regenerating Cream ($60)

"This cream has been fantastic during this brutal winter." -- Julianne Moore

A really good and effective face cream is very important, especially during Winter. And, more so for you guys who get snow and really low temps - I can only imagine!

3. Kate Somerville Quench Hydrating Face Serum ($65)

"This serum is awesome. It makes my skin feel amazing."
-- Jessica Lowndes

Right now, I am using a face serum. So far, it's working well. :)

4. La Prairie Advanced Marine Biology Day Cream SPF 20 ($175)

"It's thick but light, my favorite combination, and has a lovely fresh scent." -- Ginnifer Goodwin

This sounds amazing, and for that price, I think it should work really well.


5. eos Lip Balm Smooth Spheres, in five flavors, Summer Fruit (around $3.29)

"These are perfect. I love the flavors, and they smell good."
-- Whitney Port

I know a lot of bloggers love this! :D I actually have yet to get one. ;)

Oh, and guess who else likes these cute lip balms... None other than Chuck Bass himself!

Have you used any of these 5 products? Which ones do you want to try? How do you fight off dry skin?

Have a happy Thursday! :D

***magazine page scanned by Mimi, People (February 28, 2011)***

***images from Google***