Daily Face Products

Everyday I try to venture out a bit with my makeup by wearing a different foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick. Although the look may not be extremely, noticeably different I like knowing my makeup is being put to use. Nonetheless there are a few products I use on a daily basis. 

BeneFit Stay Don't Stray- I always begin a look by applying Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer all over the eyelids and brow bone. This primer helps eyeshadows last longer throughout the day and gives the lid a brightening palette effect. 

Bobbi Brown Corrector- The corrector helps neutralize under-eye circles, making eyes look healthier and brighter. The creamy formula glides effortlessly, by using patting motions with the ring finger. 

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer- After the corrector I use the secret concealer to brighten under eye circles. This concealer is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Using a soft brush helps give an airbrush finish.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage- This concealer is a high coverage concealer, which is why it is meant to be used to conceal blemishes, scars or any discolorations on the face. The compact includes two shades that can be blended to create the perfect shade. I use this concealer when I have a lot of redness on my cheeks, a blemish or sometimes to conceal the discoloration around my mouth. (The light shade is also great for highlighting the brow bone, around the eyes and the cupids bow)

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder- I love this powder! I know my concealer will not crease because this powder sets it in place and brightens the eyes in a subtle way. The powder contains micronized pigments giving the eyes a brightening effect with an weightless feel. 

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder- And after my foundation has been applied my finishing touch is with this Traslucent powder. A loose setting powder that is universal gives a satiny finish, setting foundation for a long lasting wear and giving a "soft-focus" appearance. 

What are your daily face products? Do we share any of these? 

Thanks for stopping by :)

-Anel

Light Sea Breeze Using BH Cosmetics 120 Palette

Hey everyone! Two weeks ago I received the BH Cosmetics 120 palette I ordered online. I was thrilled to try it out and begin doing bright shadow looks for all sorts of occasions. This palette is perfect for new people (like me) experimenting with a wide range of bright colors with shimmery and matte finishes. And all I can say is this is one of the best makeup purchases I have made. The value of the quality and quantity you get makes the palette a steal. 

Products Used

Face:

-Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick

-Laura Mercier Secret Concealer under the eyes

Laura Mercier Brightening secret powder to set concealer

-Laura Mercier Loose Powder to set foundation

-NARS Irresistablement Bronzer on cheeks

Eyes:

-Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden as base all over lid and brow bone

- MAC Orb eyeshadow on the brow bone

- BH cosmetics 120 palette first edition

-I mixed three light aqua blue colors for the outer lid and on the crease

-For the inner lid I used a lime green 

-In the inner corners of the eyes I used a shimmery lime/yellow color

-MAC Blacktrack was used to line the eyes

-Milani Aqua Liner in Aqua was used on the lower lashline

-Clinique High Tension mascara was used on lashes

Lips:

Bobbi Brown Rich Color in Rose Blossom

Thank you all for stopping by my blog! I hope you like the looks :)

Royal Blue and Gold

            Hello everyone! Here is a quick post of a look I did. Recently I have been looking for inspiration for upcoming looks. And a painting I am currently working on inspired me to continue doing these creative looks. Also I have my eyes on Makeup Forever Flash palette and was wondering what your thoughts are on this palette. If you know of any other great bright eyeshadow palette please let me know. 

I hope you like the look :)

Products Used:

Eyes:

-I began by priming the eyelid with Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage (the lightest shade) and then setting it with Lancome Dual Finish Powder

-On the inner corners of the lid I used one of my all-time favorite eyeshadows, MAC Ricepaper!

-On the outer eyelid I applied a gorgeous orange-copper shade from Tarina Tarantinos Dreamy palette

-To add more warmth and depth I applied MAC Saddle (a matte shade) on the crease

-To highlight brows I used MAC Ricepaper on the brow bone

----Now onto the lining part!----

-To create the sharp white line I used NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk and then set it with MAC Phloof! eyeshadow

-The royal blue eyeliner is Napoleon China Doll liner in Heaven

-And the gold is Milani Aqua liner in Gold

Warm Sunny Look posted on a Rainy Day!

          Hello everyone! I know I have not been blogging lately. These past few weeks I have been trying to adjust to a new job chapter so I decided to take a break from posting but I do miss it. I hope your all doing great! :) 

So now onto the look...it is warm with a combination of golds, reds and a red-burgundy shade. The LORAC 3D lustre was used only on the eyelid on top of goldmine but my camera did not pick up all the golden shimmers (in person it looks beautiful!) I shaded my brows with MAC Espresso rather than Coquette. I find that espresso gives them a more defined look while coquette makes them look more natural. My new favorite and go-to eyeliner is LORAC Front of the Line Pen eyeliner. It is so easy to apply because of it's fine tip, and it is a true rich black. On the lips I am wearing my new Chanel Rouge Coco in Rouge Orage which is a mixture of reddish-coral shades with pink undertones. 

 Face:

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick in Warm Honey 5.5

Bobbi Brown Corrector in dark Bisque

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer #04

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder to set concealers

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder to set cream foundation

MAC Blunt Blush to Contour

Lips:

Chanel Rouge Coco in Rouge Orage

Eyes:

Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion

MAC Goldmine on the lid

MAC Coppering on the crease

NYX Rust on the crease and blended into coppering

MAC Handwritten on the outer v

LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre on the lid only

LORAC Front of the Line Pro Liner

Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara 

I hope you like the look! 

Xx Anel

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick Review and Before & After Photos

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick

0.31 oz. (9 g)

$41.00 US 

My Shade: Warm Honey 5.5

Keep Reading for a Review and Before and After Photos!

What it is: "Bobbi's innovative Foundation Stick is designed for portability and adjustable coverage. Easy to apply and blend all over the face or just where you need it. For all skin types, except very oily".

Packaging: What makes this foundation so portable is it's packaging. Because it is a stick foundation it is convenient for touch-ups throughout the day (if needed). 

My Thoughts: Let me be honest, when I first heard of this foundation stick my first thoughts were cakey, heavy makeup. And how wrong was I. The creamy formula feels like satin on the skin and blends beautifully.  The coverage is light to medium but can be built for more coverage. As with other foundations I tend to prefer using my finger tips rather than brushes. I find that using my finger tips helps the product blend evenly, especially with a cream-based product. What makes the foundation stick so innovative is it's versatility. It can be worn as an all over foundation, as a concealer on certain areas (to cover redness, discolorations and/or blemishes) and for touch-ups. The finish is natural and a bit glowy. After setting it with Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder I get a satiny finish which I love. The foundation contains no SPF which makes it perfect for photos!

There are 20 Available shades to choose from- Got to love Bobbi Brown!

Before- Foundation was only applied on these areas (cheeks, around the lips, nose and a bit on the forehead). For under my eyes I used BB corrector and LM secret concealer. 

After

Eyes:

Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Buff

MAC Ricepaper all over lid and brow bone

MAC Espresso on the crease

MAC Haux on the crease

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

LORAC Multiplex 3D Lashes

Lips & Cheeks:

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty

Have you tried the foundation stick or any other Bobbi Brown foundations? 

-Anel :)

Green and Purple Glitter!

Here is another purple and green look. I am using a couple new products I posted on my Last "New Beauty Products". NYX carries small jars of loose shadow pigments and glitters and I could not resist just passing them by; they are so cute! Because the pigment is a lime green and the purple glitter has bits of green glitter I combined both colors. Unfortunately my camera could not capture all the glitter on my eyelids so below you will find swatches of the pigment and glitter. 

Face

-Guerlain Lingerie De Peau #23 

-Laura Mercier Secret Concealer

 Eyes

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

-NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk

-MAC Orb eyeshadow

-NYX Lime Pearl Mania all over lid

-Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Flash on the crease

-NYX Purple glitter mania was applied on the lid using Fix+

-MAC Fig 1 eyeshadow on the crease

-Bobbi Brown Gel Ink Liner in Violet Ink

-Bobbi Brown Gel Ink Liner in Shimmer Ink

-Rimmel Eye Kohl 

-Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara

NYX Lime Pearl and Purple Glitter Mania

 Lips and Cheeks

-Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty

-Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Rose Blossom #11

 I Hope you like the look and thank you for stopping by :)

Bold Red Lips...

           Hello everyone! This bright red lip look was inspired by Lisa Eldridge's new video tutorial, "My long lasting night out look". Lisa is such a beauty and a woman who many admire. Her work reflects natural beauty with a high fashion kick. I absolutely love her videos and after seeing her new one I couldn't help but try and recreate the look with products I own. 

Face

-Guerlain foundation mixed with Chanel Pro Lumiere 

-Laura Mercier Secret Concealer under the eyes

-Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder to set concealer

-Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder on the T-zone

-Guerlain Rouge Automatique 124 was used as a blush by dabbing it on my cheeks with my fingers tips

<------ ***In this picture I am not wearing eyeliner on the top lashline.****

 Lips

-Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss in Fatale No. 61

-NYX Lip Liner in Hot Red No. 817

       -I began by lining and filling in my lips with the lip liner in Hot Red. Then using a lip brush I applied Chanel Fatale. Using Laura Mercier Secret Concealer I traced outside the lips to clean out the edges. 

Swatches: Chanel Fatale & NYX Hot Red

Eyes

-Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion

-NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk on the brow bone

-MAC Orb eyeshadow on the brow bone

-Urban Decay Chopper eyeshadow all over the lid

-Urban Decay Buck eyeshadow on the crease

-Ardell Individual lashes- Flare short black

-Prestige My Biggest lashes mascara

-Laura Mercier Tightlining Cake Liner in Black Ebony

Thank you for stopping by

 & as always your comments are gratefully accepted :)

A Combination of Mattes, Velvet and Satin finishes

Lately I have been exploring eyeshadows with a matte, velvet and satiny finishes. Shades with these finishes are very work-friendly and can easily be paired with a bright lipstick shade. 

Products Used

Face

-I mixed my Guerlain foundation with Chanel Pro Lumiere and used a foundation brush to apply

-To neutralize the shadows under my eyes I used a bit of BB corrector

-To brighten under the eyes I applied LM secret concealer on top of the corrector

-The concealers were set with LM secret brightening powder

-Guerlain Terracota Bronzing powder was used to define the cheekbones

-MAC Mineralize blush in warm soul on the apples of the cheeks

Eyes

-NYX Jumbo Pencil in milk was used as a base all over the eyelid and brow bone

-MAC Orb (matte) shadow was used as a second shadow base to set the creaminess of Milk

-MAC Texture (velvet) was applied above the crease as the transition color

-MAC Espresso (matte) was blended into the crease

-MAC Shroom (satin) was applied on the lid, the inner corners of the eyes and the brow bone

- I lined my top lashline with Blacktrack fluidline 

- Lashes were curled with E.L.F. eyelash curler and coated with LORAC Multiplex 3D mascara

-Ardell lashes in #53 were applied

Lips

-A couple layers of Hourglass Femme Rouge in Nocturnal was applied on the lips
Hourglass Femme Rouge is reviewed here:

http://blushtree.blogspot.com/2011/11/hourglass-femme-rouge-velvet-creme.html

I hope you like the look! If you know of any other mattes, satins or velvets that you really like please share them here :)

Xx-Anel

A Look using Milani Lip Flash Glossy Pencils+ Review/Swatches

First Photo- Wearing Milani Lip Flash in News Flash

Second Photo-Wearing Milani Lip Flash in Photo Flash

 I decided to post this picture so you can see a before and after of the eye makeup

Products Used/Steps

Face:

-After moisturizing my face I applied a thin layer of Chanel Vitalumiere foundation

-Under the eyes I patted Bobbi Brown corrector and then a bit of Laura Mercier Secret Concealer 

-To set concealer and for a bit of a brightening effect I used a fluffy brush and Laura Mercier Secret Brightening powder

-Chanel natural loose powder was applied all over (except under the eyes) with a large powder brush

-Using a angle blush brush (MAC 168) I contoured with MAC Blunt Blush

-Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze was applied on the top of the cheekbones to highlight

Eyes:

-I filled in my brows using Milani Brow Kit 

-I began to prime and correct the lids with Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Buff (a shimmery/subtle champagne color)

-On the lids I patted MAC Shroom eyeshadow 

-On the brow bone and inner corners of the eyes I used the lightest strip of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze

-Then taking my bent eyeliner brush I lined my eyes with E.L.F. cream liner in Midnight

-I coated my lashes once with Prestige My Biggest lashes Mascara

-Ardell Accent Falsies in #301 were applied

-LORAC Multiplex 3D Lashes mascara was used on the lower lashes

Lips:

-Milani Lip flash in News Flash 02

-Milani Lip Flash in Photo Flash 04 

 Now for the quick review on Milani's Lip Flash Full Coverage Glossy Lip Pencils

Both lip flashes are opaque and deliver full coverage wear. They contain glitter but I do not find them to be drying or feel uncomfortable on my lips . However, I do find that News flash is creamier and easier to apply than Photo Flash. This may be because the glitter is more obvious on Photo Flash. In terms of lasting power I find that both have a good average wear (2 + hours) before the color begins to wear off. Overall, I am very happy with these lip pencils because they are pigmented as a lipstick with a glossier and glittery finish that does not look cheap. 
Available at Target and drugstores/ $6-7.00 each 

Photo Flash 04 (left) News Flash 02 (right)

Thank you for reading and stopping by :)

Currently Loving....

    Hello everyone I decided to add a different type of post where I will feature the products I am currently loving. These products might look a bit boring because they mostly consist of daily products I use as part of my base. 

1. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer- For a long time I was a big fan of combining the Bobbi Brown corrector and creamy concealer but I think Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer beats the BB creamy concealer- I love how creamy it is and how a tiny bit goes a long way. I still do love my BB corrector!
2. Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder- this white brightening powder goes translucent (so it is universal on all skin shades) sets concealer all day and illuminates the under eye giving a beautiful-subtle effect. 
3. Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit (Medium)- My new go-to for filling in my brows! The brow kit includes a highlighter and two brow powder shades- perfect for defining and highlighting the brows! 
4. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk- this white creamy pencil is perfect for giving more light to the brow bone!
5. MAC Blunt Blush- A matte golden brown blush that easily contours the face for defining the cheekbones
6. E.L.F. Cream Eyeliners in Black and Midnight- These cream eyeliners are so great! I love how creamy they are and the long wear they provide. Black is just a opaque true black while Midnight is a dark navy blue.

Which products are you currently loving?

Artsy Liner: Into the Blue

Products Used:

-Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit in Medium on Brows

-Stila Prime Pot in Taffy

-MAC Vanilla Pigment

-Napoleon Perdis China Doll Eyeliner in Heaven

-Milani Liquif'Eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Aqua 04

-NYX Crystal Glitter Liner in Aqua

-Prestige My Biggest Lashes 

Products Used:

-Milani Brow Fix Kit in Medium to fill in brows

-Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Buff all over lid and brow bone

-The highlighter included in the Brow Kit was applied on the brow bone

-Napoleon Perdis China Doll Eyeliner in Heaven

-NYX Crystal Glitter Liner in Crystal Gold

-Nail art rhinestones

-Prestige My Biggest Lashes Mascara

Do you wear navy blue eyeliner? If you do how do you wear it?

Beauty Tip #2: Emphasize the Eyes Using the Tightlining Method

What does it mean to Tightline?

         Tightlining the eye is done when a eyeliner is applied to the top inside rims of the lashline. This can emphazise the eyes and give the illusion that lashes are fuller and thicker. A cake liner, gel liner or pencil liner can be used for tightlining. However, if you are going to use a pencil liner, I recommend that it is waterproof to ensure its wearability throughout the day. If I am just going to wear mascara on my eyes I always try to tightline because it gives the eyes more depth without looking overly done.
My Recommendations
Pencil: 
1. Milani Liquif'Eye Pencil in Black
2. Loreal Extra Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Black
3. Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Pencil in 0L
Cake Eyeliners: 
-Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner and E.L.F. Concealer Brush (a small precise flat brush)

BEFORE

 AFTER- using Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner in Black Ebony

Share your tips and tricks for tightlining ;)