Wednesday, December 12, 2012

HAUL! Sephora, Ulta, etc.



Hi everyone!

My latest video is a haul/mini review video. I took advantage of some recent sales and picked up some beauty goodies. Here's what I got:

Tarte Holiday Lip Gloss Set
L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup - Shade 3W
Revlon Photoready Primer, Shadow + Sparkle Palettes- Metropolitan and Impressionist
NYX Trio Eyeshadow - Aloha/Mink Brown/Deep Bronze
NYX Powder Blush - Dusty Rose and Pinched
Khroma Beauty Khloe's Kardazzle Complete Face Palette
Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick - Incognito
Guerlain Rouge Automatique - Nahema
Tarte Holiday Amazonian Clay Blush Set
Guerlain Meterorites Compact Powder - Teint Beige 02
Soap & Glory Hand Food hand cream
Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser Concealer
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eye Shadows - #1 and #27
Sigma Brushes - E55 Eye Shading, F30 Large Powder, F40 Large Angled Contour

 For some reason, I couldn't talk while I was trying to film this video. It took me about four takes to get through this, so sorry about the lighting and if I sound a bit tired. When I started, the sun was up, but it gets dark so fast now!

Hope you all enjoy the video! A late November favorites should follow soon.


xo Tina

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Chanel Notorious Review and Tutorial

Chanel's Notorious Sculpting Veil for eyes and cheeks has become my holy grail contouring product. I've never tried anything that truly chisels out features on my face. Not only is the color perfect for my skin tone, the product is truly a dream to work with. Just remember to blend well! If you want to hear more of my thoughts on this product and to see how I use it to contour my face, click on the video to watch. I filmed this quite a while ago, but it's been a slow editing process. I cut 30 minutes of footage down to 3 minutes for this video! I hope you can still get the product if you want it because it is limited edition. If not, I'm sorry! But the tutorial shows you basically how I would contour with any other type of bronzer or contouring product. Hope you're having a good day! xo Tina PS. I have a tutorial for the makeup look I wore in this video in editing. Hopefully it will be up soon!

Monday, November 12, 2012

October 2012 Favorites



Hi everyone!

Another month gone by!  Here are my October favorites.  I know this video is a bit late.  I'm sorry if I sound a little lack-luster.  I think most of my footage came from my 3rd or 4th take because of all the city noise in the background and the bipolar lighting.  It also took a little while before I could find the time to edit the video.  I actually had it filmed and loaded onto my computer since the last week of October.

Anyway, there are quite a few Giorgio Armani beauty products on this past month's favorites because I've been testing a bunch of products from the brand over the last few months.  I must say, I've been very impressed, and that's why they make an appearance in this video.  I also have a few non-GA beauty favorites that I talk about in the latter half of the video.

Here are the products mentioned:

Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation in 4.5
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Mascara (regular original version)
Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Waterproof Eyeshadows in 27 and 28
Giorgio Armani Waterproof Silk Eye Pencils in 1 and 2
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks
MAC blush in Fleet Fast
Revlon Colorburst lip glosses (Bellini shown in video)
MAC Select Moisture Concealer in NC20

I hope you all had a great month of October!  Here's to a happy and healthy November!

XoxO
Tina

Monday, October 22, 2012

Tutorial: Everyday Smokey Eye with Urban Decay Naked 2



Wow, so I haven't filmed a tutorial in a long time.  Looking back at my old tutorial videos, I've improved a lot with my makeup application techniques.  I think I've also found a style of editing that I really like now and a better spot to film.  Lighting is really everything!  This video is definitely more polished, and I hope you all like it.  I also just want to say, thank goodness for voiceover or else tutorials would be completely impossible.  I should have saved a blooper clip for the end.  In the background you can hear my son shoving his toys around, babbling, and making all sorts of noises.  

Anyway...

This tutorial will show you how to do an easy everyday smokey eye using the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette.  If you want a night look, simply intensify the color to make it darker.  This is one of my favorite looks using this palette, and YDK is one of my all time favorite eyeshadows.

Here are the products I used:

Urban Decay NAKED Skin Foundation in 4.0
Maybelline Dream Lumi Illuminating Concealer in Nude
MAKEUP FOREVER Full Cover Concealer in 7
Stila Brow Powder in Dark (discontinued)
Urban Decay NAKED 2 Palette - YDK, Busted, Bootycall
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Bone
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Urban Decay Super Curling Mascara
Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil for Eyes and Cheeks
MAC blush in Fleet Fast (limited edition - Hey Sailor! collection from Summer 2012)
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked

I hope you enjoy the tutorial!  Please leave any comments and/or suggestions in the comment box in the video.

Oh!  I also want to give special thanks to my husband for the music in this video.  He wrote it and played it on the spot.  I know it's not the best of quality, but I think we will try to improve it because I like how it turned out, and it also makes the video more special.   

<3x Tina


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Tom Ford Smoke Red Lipstick



Hey everyone! Long time, no post, I know. Life got busy and left barely enough time to get through the usual daily stuff so my blog and YouTube channel took a backseat for a little while. I'm hoping to get back into things and get posting regularly.
To bring us back, I have Tom Ford's Smoke Red lipstick. This is the "old" formula housed in the white lacquer packaging before Mr.Ford launched his full makeup line. I also own Blush Nude and Pink Dusk from the original line.
The original line of lipsticks was originally limited edition. They became even more limited as they were phased out to be reformulated and repackaged into Tom Ford's current line of cosmetics. I found this beauty, and quite a few of the others, at my local Cosmetics Company Outlet (CCO).
Because this isn't widely available anymore, I just took a quick shot of the product and me wearing it. The original
lipstick formula is creamy, well-pigmented, fairly moisturizing, and lasts about 4 hours on me. It's a very comfortable lipstick to wear. I've been obsessed with reds and vampy lipsticks lately, and I have fallen in love with this color. It's a slightly blue-based red with the slightest bit of micro shimmer so that, on the lips, it looks mostly matte but has a slight bit of sheen and dimension to it.
The original retail price for Mr.Fords's lipstick was $45. The CCO's price for this was $33.75. If your local CCO carries these lipsticks, I recommend grabbing one. At $33.75, it's a much more reasonable and expectable price for a high-end lipstick and worth it for the formula.


Thursday, May 17, 2012

MAC Hey Sailor! Swatches and Photos


Hey everyone! The new MAC Hey Sailor! Summer collection is now up on their website. I wanted post some rough photos and swatches for you. I've been super busy lately and haven't been able to do a proper post for this collection, but at least you will have a few photos. I also apologize for the messy post. I'm actually doing this from my phone. Enjoy!
Lipsticks - Red Racer (left) and Sail La Vie (right)





Blushes - Launch Away! (left in swatches) and Fleet Fast (right in swatches)


Swatched heavily


Blended out

Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm - Au Rosé (left) and Abalone (right)


Eyeshadow - Jaunty



Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Kate Collection for Rimmel London Lipstick #12



Over the last couple of months, I've been exploring the drug store for new makeup.  I've been reading some good things about drug store products lately and wanted to check out a few products for myself.  Generally I have very bad luck at the drug store, which is why I haven't purchased a lot of drug store makeup.  I'd rather spend more on something that I know works and performs well than waste a few bucks on something I know I won't use and will end up in the trash.  Besides, a lot of drug store beauty products are not very cheap anymore!

What's nice about drug stores is that if you check their weekly fliers, almost every week they have a sale on at least one or two brands of makeup.  I ran into one of these sales at my local Rite Aid one day.  The sale was for Rimmel, and I have never tried any Rimmel products before so I decided to pick up a couple of my favorite makeup items, lipstick and eyeshadow, by the brand.



The lipstick I chose was the lipstick #12 from the Kate Collection.  The Kate Collection is a compilation of 7 lipsticks created by Kate Moss in Rimmel's Lasting Finish formula.  The range of shades in the collection is great.  You have three every day neutral colors, three brighter colors, and a very bold purple shade.  I decided to go with #12, one of the brighter shades.  #12 is a vibrant coral-red and fits very much into the bright lipstick trend.  Though it is bright, I find it very wearable because it doesn't lean too orange and is not neon bright.  The lipstick has a slightly satin, almost matte finish.

  


The formula is supposed to be long lasting, which I do find is true.  I found that it lasted between 4-6 hours depending on how much eating, drinking, talking you're doing.  The only thing I didn't like too much about the formula is that it can be slightly drying.  And I really do mean slightly.  It is definitely not moisturizing, but it is not uncomfortable to wear.  This is probably one of the better long wear drugstore lipsticks I have tried, and it doesn't have a nasty taste or smell to it like most drug store lipsticks I have tried.  I also am a fan of the packaging.  It's a sleek matte black with Kate's signature on the cap.  It's pretty sturdy and not at all flimsy.



Overall, I do recommend this lipstick and I would pick up a couple of the neutral shades to try.  If you're looking for that bright, coral red lipstick to wear this season, this definitely fits the bill.  You can find Rimmel at any of your local drugstores.  It retails for $5.49 at Rite Aid, but the price may vary between drug stores.  

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE PUR COUTURE Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain in 15 Rose Vinyl, 11 Rouge Gouache, and 20 Rouge Enamel



When I was in New York City for my birthday, I ran into a most amazing lip product while perusing the aisles of Sephora in Times Square.  YSL has just released a revolutionary new lip product.  The Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains are liquid lip stains that go on like a liquid lipstick and leave a lovely glossy finish.  They are truly two-in-one products.  With one layer, they leave the stain.  With a second layer, the color is intensified and a gorgeous glossy finish is added.  These pack quite the punch, but not in a gaudy or unsophisticated way.  Just don't expect a light stain or sheer color.  The color is only sheerer when the gloss fades.



The applicator of this product is slightly unique.  At first glance, it reminded me of the applicator for the Lancome Color Fever glosses with the tear drop shape.  However, that is where the similarity ends.  Though the Glossy Stains have a tear shaped sponge, the tip is much sharper meaning much more precise application.  The sponge is rather flat and thin, allowing the perfect deposition of product onto your lips.  



Below are swatches of 15 Rose Vinyl, 11 Rouge Gouache, and 20 Rouge Enamel (a Sephora exclusive shade).  The swatch on the left is one swipe, and the swatch on the left is two swipes.  You can really see the gloss and sheen these give in the second picture below.






The texture of these Glossy Stains is just so lovely.  When I first pulled the applicator out of the tube, I was expecting something thick and goopy.  Was I so wrong.  The product is very lightweight on the lips and just glides right on.  As with the nature of lip stains, the product dries down rather quickly, so you will need to be a little quick with application.  With one layer on the lips, you hardly notice anything on your lips at all.  With a second layer, you feel a slight tackiness so you are aware the product is there, but the wear is still lightweight.  Unlike many lip stains, the Glossy Stains are not drying at all.  In fact, they are quite moisturizing.


#11 Rouge Gouache on the lips

First layer


Second layer


Full face


Stain left behind after wiping product off with a tissue


The lasting power of the Glossy Stains is phenomenal because of the stain they leave behind.  The darker colors will pull through meals.  Although, keep a mirror handy for reapplication anyway because the product tends to fade unevenly.  These are great for people like me who don't have time to reapply lip products throughout the day.  I can trust that this looks good even if I'm unable to touch up during the day, especially if there is minimal eating and drinking.  I also want to mention that the Glossy Stains have the usual YSL mango scent/flavor but it's not nearly as strong as it is in the lipsticks.  You can smell it on the applicator, and it's there when you apply but fades rather quickly.

 I highly, highly recommend the YSL Glossy Stains.  The color range is pretty extensive, so you will probably be able to find a color that suits you.  They are $32 and are available at Sephora stores, Sephora.com, and YSL counters everywhere.  I recently spotted them at Nordstrom, where I actually picked up one more.  I will feature that shade in a separate blog post.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Fresh Sugar Passion Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15




The Fresh tinted lip treatments are lip treatments that leave a beautiful tint of color in its wake.  Or you have the choice of clear if you prefer your lip treatments to be colorless.  There are currently four different tints in the line plus the clear treatment.  I tried all of them at Sephora before settling on Passion.  They all have the same lemony-citrus taste and glide on buttery smooth.  The texture is so silky and light, you hardly feel like there is anything on your lips.  The product is housed in metal packaging that screws open and closed, so there's no way this is busting open in your bag.  Simply twist up and apply.




Passion may look like a scary bright crimson in the tube, but it actually goes on to give you a just bitten flush of red on the lips.  It's tinted enough that you may not want to apply without a mirror.  Passion brings a nice healthy bit of color to your face without being too obvious.  I found this color to be the most flattering on me.  The Rose treatment was pretty too, but was close to clear on my lips.




Below are a couple swatches.  The swatch on the left is heavier with two swipes.  The right swatch is just one pass of the product.

 


Are the Fresh lip treatments worth the $22.50 for just a balm?  Many lip products claim to be moisturizing or nourishing on the lips, especially lately with the whole tinted lip balm trend.  But in my experience, the Fresh lip treatments are the only true balm product that actually improves the condition of your lips while adding some color.  The SPF is also a bonus.  When my lips feel parched or abused by other less nourishing lip products, a day of wearing this products restores my lips to normal.  I'm sure if I used the clear overnight my lips would be as soft and plushy as the pillow I rested my head on.  So for me, I would absolutely purchase this again, and I would recommend this to anyone.



Tuesday, February 14, 2012



Happy Valentines' Day everyone!

Send a fun love letter or any message Chanel style!  Click on the interlocking C's to send your own!




Also, I came across this Valentines' deal from Zoya:


Add any of their red polishes to your cart and anything else of your choice with code WELUVU and get the red polish for free AND free shipping!  I chose Jo and Carmen.

I'm laid out at home because I started weaning from nursing last week, but I'm feeling the love anyway from everyone looking out for me and helping me.

I hope everyone receives lots of love whether it's from family, friends, or a special somebody!

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Chanel Spring 2012: Ombre D'eau Fluid Iridescent Eyeshadow Source #40



A very unexpected purchase from the Chanel Spring 2012 collection for me was the Ombre D'eau in Source.  I almost missed this piece completely if not for one last glance at the collection when I was at the counter.  I had never tried Chanel's liquid eye shadow formula before, so I was intrigued.  When you collect cosmetics, you get to the point where there are few things that are truly new and intriguing.



The Ombre D'eau comes in a pretty weighty frosted glass container, and the applicator is a doe's foot sponge.  It can be worn alone or as a base for shadows.  They are crease-free and long lasting (around 8 hours without creasing without a primer and close to 12 hours without creasing with a primer).  However, because of the metallic, iridescent finish, my SA did not recommend this for folks with fine lines or wrinkles as the finish would emphasize these.  Even though these are long lasting, they are NOT waterproof.  In fact, they come off rather easily with just water.


You need to shake the bottle very well before application.  My SA recommended placing the product on the back of the hand and using a synthetic brush to apply rather than applying the product directly to your eye from the applicator.  This way, you have more control of the product and avoid over applying.  I found using your fingers to apply and blend works out just fine as well.  The formula dries down pretty quickly, so you have to work equally as quick to apply and blend out the edges.


The swatch above was with one swipe with the applicator.  The formula is buildable so you can go as subtle or striking as you wish with the finish.

I wasn't expecting much because pinks on my eyes usually make me look tired or sick.  Maybe it's because of the metallic/iridescent finish or perhaps the shade of pink is very pale, almost champagne-like, but it looked very pretty.  The results actually had a brightening effect on my eyes that made me look more awake and fresh.  I was instantly sold.

Since purchasing Source, I've been using it quite often.  It's amazingly easy to use, quick and perfect for those mornings (which is almost every day now with the baby) where you don't have more than 5 minutes to make yourself look presentable and I love how long it lasts.  At the end of the day, it still looks great.  The delicate pink is perfect for spring, but I think it's wearable year round.

Chanel's Ombre D'eau is $32 and available at Chanel.com and Chanel counters.


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Revlon Lip Butter Swatches

As promised, swatches of the Revlon Lip Butters I own.  Except for one.  I know, what kind of beauty blogger am I.  As I was editing these images, I realized I have one more lip butter.  The one that is missing is Berry Smoothie.  I'm not sure where I placed it, but I will edit this post with a swatch when I find it.  It's one of my favorites, so I hope I didn't lose it.  Click the image for full sized viewing.


And close ups:



I'm still figuring out how to capture lip swatches with my camera.  Like I mentioned before, I don't have a fancy camera, so I need to play around with the settings.  I think I got it though after playing around today.  I will also try to update with lip swatches because with the lip butters, I really feel a lot of these look different and much better on the lips.

Revlon Lip Butters



The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters have taken the makeup blogging world by storm.  It's difficult not to see why.  They are affordable and quality alternatives to the higher end sheer moisturizing lip products such as the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and YSL Volupte Sheer Candy.  Honestly, I think I like these better than Chanel and YSL (gasp!).  I have two swatches in this post. However, since photographing these, I have acquired 7 more for a total of 9 lip butters.  I will update this post with swatches of the others when I get the chance.

When I think of lip butter, I picture a lip balm in a tub type thing, a product that's meant to heal dry lips, and if there is color you bet it's sheer.  The Revlon lip butters are nothing like this.  They go on the lips buttery smooth like a lip balm, but they are not short on pigmentation.  These far exceeded my expectations on pigmentation.  In fact, when I tried one on for the first time, I really pressed down and began to apply heavily with the preconceived notion that "lip butter" would mean something very sheer.  Boy was I surprised.  Like any pigmented lip product, they can be applied lighter or more heavily to control the amount of color you would like.  Though these apply smoothly, feel extremely comfortable on the lips, and may seem like they are moisturizing, they don't add any moisture to your lips.  I also want to mention they are smell-less and tasteless.

Unfortunately, like many "moisturizing" lip products, the Revlon lip butters don't last on the lips for very long.  I find the need to reapply after 2 hours.  Another thing I don't like about the product is with the packaging.  The product is in your standard lipstick tube.  However, the cap is extra long leaving a little less than a quarter of an inch at the bottom where you pull the lipstick tube from the cap.  I often have some trouble pulling the lipstick out since there is so little to grip on the bottom.  It's sorta minor I guess but annoying none the less.

Here are swatches of Strawberry Shortcake and Sweet Tart:



Strawberry Shortcake


Sweet Tart




The Revlon lip butters are permanent and are appearing at your local drugstores, Ulta, and Target.  Depending on where you buy, they go between $5 - $7 and change.  I definitely recommend checking these out.  Especially in the colder weather, they are nice to wear when your lips need a break from dryer lipsticks.